


Invisible

by LycheeLove



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, Modeling, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-19
Updated: 2015-07-09
Packaged: 2018-01-01 06:11:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 57,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1041300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LycheeLove/pseuds/LycheeLove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kuroko is dragged into the world of high fashion modeling, and somehow causes the rest of the Generation of Miracles to model as well. Needless to say, many sexy photoshoots and commercials ensue. Set after the Winter Cup. Lame summary is lame. model!GoM because it's so fun<br/>reposted from ff.net</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> "So… I just really wanted to write a model!Kuroko. And then the rest of the story kinda grew around that. Enjoy!"

Aomine was thoroughly pissed off. _It's Kise's fault,_ he thought, shooting a glare at said person. _It's all Kise's fault,_ he repeated as he stood shirtless in front of a flashing camera, a very pretty blue-haired girl pressed close to his chest.

* * *

"DAI-CHAN!" Momoi yelled as she opened the door to the school's rooftop.

"Go away, Satsuki," he groaned, wishing to sleep some more. "I'll go to practice in an hour." Despite vowing to be serious and attend practice after their crushing defeat against Seirin, it was still difficult for him to overcome his sleeping-during-practice habit. It was already January and a new year had just begun. The Winter Cup seemed ages ago. Scenes of the intense final match flashed in Aomine's mind.

"That too, but that's not why I called you!" she marched towards him with something in her hand.

"What then?" he peered over only to have a magazine shoved in his face.

"Look!" she exclaimed, pointing at a spot on the page.

Aomine pushed it away from his face to scrutinize it. "It's just Kise," he made a face, "why are you showing me a picture of Kise?" Over the years, he'd gotten used to seeing his former teammate in numerous magazines and advertisements.

"No!" Momoi whined, "look here!" she jabbed at the same area on the cover. Aomine made another face and looked again. Kise stood by himself in an elaborate garden, one arm leaning against an ivy-covered pillar and gazing down with a tender look in his gold eyes. His hair was styled in a slightly tousled fashion, which only enhanced his already good-looking features. It was his latest photo shoot for some big-name clothing brand and had all the girls screaming and fangirling. Aomine squinted his eyes trying to find what Momoi was pointing at. After squinting his eyes even further, they opened wide.

"What?!" Aomine yelled incredulous. He grabbed the magazine and held it to his face. Upon closer inspection, Kise's tender gaze was actually fixed towards a person. A person with sky blue hair and azure eyes fixed in a familiar blank expression – Kuroko.

The blue-haired boy wore a wig matching his natural hair perfectly and fell in soft waves around his face, just past his shoulders. Kuroko had his back on the pillar towards Kise, yet his blue eyes stared up at the camera. In a pale yellow gown, he matched Kise's formal ensemble and fit so perfectly with the garden setting. His slightly parted lips were painted an innocent shade of pink; his naturally long eyelashes noticeably longer. And, as Aomine skimmed through the magazine's table of contents, there were more.

The magazine had 4 double page spreads of the photo shoot; each had a picture of Kise and Kuroko in various outfits and poses in the garden. Of course, no one saw Kuroko at first. It looked like Kise had been all by himself. But when Kuroko was finally noticed, a whole new dimension was added to the photo. His presence somehow made Kise more eye-catching, more handsome, more… _sensual._

Aomine quickly flipped to the other spreads. In the first, Kise lay in a bed of white flowers. His fully unbuttoned dark shirt contrasted nicely with the grass and showcased his wonderfully sculpted abs. He gazed at the camera with a listless expression that could have been interpreted as bored. But then Kuroko magically appeared in an off-white lacy sundress lying on Kise's arm. His blue wig splayed out in the grass gave an impression of the sky reflected in his hair. Kuroko held one hand to his mouth, the other evocatively close to the hem of the other's pants. Kise's bored expression turned sultry.

The second showed Kise lounging on a sofa underneath a flower trellis. He cradled his head in one hand and held a single rose in the other. This time he only unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt and made his expression irritatingly smug. But the long-stemmed red rose that hung carelessly in his hand touched the slender, pale neck of Kuroko who sat demurely on the floor. Kuroko's dress draped lazily on his shoulders, leaving his collarbones bare. He remained expressionless as ever, azure eyes looking straightforward. But his head rested on Kise's knee and suddenly, the picture became a whole new kind of suggestive.

The third picture had Kise in a pond littered with pink lotus flowers, his white shirt soaked and leaving nothing to the imagination. Liquid-gold eyes once again tilted downwards, a languid hand brushing his hair back. The sudden appearance of a slight figure with blue hair equally drenched, suggested Kise had just caught him from a fall. Half submerged in the water, Kuroko straddled Kise keeping both hands on his abdomen. He held his blank face dangerously close to the other's, yellow eyes meeting blue.

The last showed a close-up of Kise, looking handsomely in the distance as if in deep thought. In fact, he looked as if he wanted to cry. But then pale arms wrapped around him and held him close. Suddenly, Kuroko appeared behind him staring straight at the camera, face hidden by the other's nest of hair save for his eyes and had a somewhat softer expression. This picture seemed different from the others in that it held an aura of comfort; Kuroko's expressionless face almost looked kind.

As Aomine gaped at the last picture, Momoi shrieked, "Doesn't Tetsu-kun look absolutely adorable?!" She began ranting about how cute and wonderful her Tetsu-kun was, but Aomine tuned her out still flipping through all the pictures.

They were incredibly frustrating. All of them. He couldn't imagine how Tetsu could agree to do this, Tetsu of all people. Tetsu the phantom player, Tetsu his shadow, Tetsu his best friend. The boy who no one ever noticed was now seen all over the country in the form of beautifully taken photographs. Aomine couldn't believe it was the same person he knew in those pictures. But it _was_ the same person, and that frustrated Aomine. Frustrating because he just couldn't believe how Tetsu could be so…

_Beautiful._

At this thought, he brashly threw the magazine in Momoi's face and stalked off.

"Hey, what was that for?" she cried after him. "Dai-chan! Where are you going?"

"To practice!" he slammed the door of the school roof.

* * *

"Kuroko!" various voices exclaimed as said boy walked into the gym. All members of Seirin's basketball team crowded around their coach. In her hands was the same magazine Momoi had shown Aomine.

Their faces held varying degrees of surprise, disbelief, and wonder. It was Riko who directly addressed him, "Kuroko! Explain this!" She held the magazine in front of Kuroko's face.

"It's Kise," he replied simply.

"No!" Hyuuga broke in, "Why are you in here too?!"

"Ahh…" Kuroko mumbled before explaining.

* * *

"Kurokocchi!" Kise cried as he ran to wrap his arms around a small blue-haired teen.

One Saturday morning after the Winter Cup, Kuroko was out grocery shopping when he saw a very distressed Kise running towards him. "Hello, Kise-kun," he greeted with no change of expression, "How are you?"

"Kurokocchi!" the blonde said again with tears in his eyes, "You have to help me! I'm doing this super important photo shoot for a big company's fashion line and the girl I was supposed to model with today suddenly couldn't make it, and now the photographer and agency won't let me leave until they can get a replacement model, but she's coming in from another city and it'll take a long time for her to get here and I have a qualifying game for a tournament today and I can't miss it!" Kise spoke quickly and ran his sentences together making it difficult for Kuroko to comprehend.

"I don't want to," was Kuroko's immediate response.

Kise wailed, "Kurokocchi! The shoot's right across the street and won't take long, promise!"

"I'm not a model, Kise-kun."

"It's okay! The photographer's super talented!"

"I'm not a girl."

"That doesn't matter! The make-up artist is amazing too! Please help me, Kurokocchi! Pleeeaaasseee!" Kise's pleas were getting to him.

_Kise-kun will miss his game…_ Kuroko thought to himself. Kaijou had suffered a crushing defeat at the Winter Cup. Even with Kise's inhuman copying ability, the game had been way too close for comfort. _It's barely been a week, and he already wants to be back on the court._

Kuroko sighed, "I understand," and paused before adding, "you have to buy me milkshakes for a month."

With tears of happiness, Kise beamed, "Thank you, Kurokocchi!" before nearly dragging him to the photo shoot.

* * *

"And that's how it happened," Kuroko finished.

"WHAT?!" was the teams collective response to Kuroko's story.

"Oi, why's everyone so loud today?" Kagami yawned, entering the gym.

"See for yourself," Kiyoshi took the magazine from Riko and tossed it to Kagami who caught it with one hand.

"It's just Kise," he frowned.

"Look closer," Izuki urged.

Just as Kagami's eyes widened, a group of girls walked into the gym shrieking Kise's name.

"Kise-kun, you were so handsome in Ivory!"

"Kise-kun, can I have your autograph?"

"Kise-kun, who's that girl in your pictures?"

On and on they went chattering and clambering to get closer to the blonde model who stood in the center of their group.

"Oi! We're having basketball practice right now! Please leave!" an annoyed Hyuuga shouted to the prattling girls. They fell silent and then left grumbling. Kise stayed behind.

"Yo," he waved a hand and grinned. "Kurokocchi, I'm here to deliver what I promised! Let's go." He pointed his thumb towards the door.

"Practice just started, Kise-kun," Kuroko said.

This time Riko spoke, "Kise-kun! It's our first day of practice. After the Winter Cup, I think you'd understand our desire to get back to training. We don't need any of you and your distractions." She gestured at the girls who just left and the magazine in Kagami's hand.

Kise raised his hands as if in surrender. "I'm sorry, but I really do have to talk to Kurokocchi concerning that." He pointed to the magazine. "Doesn't he look amazing in those pictures by the way?" he grinned.

The team remained silent. Kagami sputtered looking between Kuroko, Kise, and the pictures in the magazine, "W-who?! Wha- what is- ? W-"

Kuroko sighed, "Then please excuse me. I will speak with Kise-kun and return immediately." He gave a curt bow to his team before following Kise out the door. Kise and Kuroko heard Kagami's reaction as they left the gym.

"Ah seriously, Kurokocchi, thank you for saving me back then," Kise said referring to the photo shoot. "I don't know what I would have done without you!"

"Did you win your qualifying round?"

"Of course!" Kise beamed.

"That's good," a brief smile flitted across Kuroko's face before settling back into its usual expression.

"Anyway, my agency's going crazy about the pictures. They keep getting calls and emails asking who you are and if you were photo-edited or something. Want to read the critiques?" he took a ripped-out page from his pocket and handed it to Kuroko.

" _This 'invisible model' might be the biggest breakthrough in fashion history!"_

" _The girl has the most bewitching eyes I have ever seen. I have never been so entranced by such a beautiful and awe-inspiring gaze."_

" _Being able to disappear without any sort of editing is remarkable! This girl's ability might as well be the biggest thing this industry's ever seen."_

Kuroko stopped reading and returned the page. "Is there anything else, Kise-kun? I want to get back to practice."

Kise felt a sharp pang in his heart, "Kurokocchi, you're so mean." He stopped walking and leaned on the side of a building. "The truth is, my agency wants to recruit you."

"No thank you." Kuroko bowed and walked back in the direction of the gym.

"Hey!" Kise stood up and ran after him. "Just consider it okay? Take this card." Kuroko took it and read: ' _Masamune Tasuku, agent for Iris Models'_ a number was also included. He slipped the card in his pocket.

"Thank you, Kise-kun. I'll see you around," he bowed again and turned.

"You look amazing in those photos! I'm serious!" Kise called after him. He didn't know if Kuroko heard though because he showed no reaction and kept walking. Kise shrugged, the campaign was a success; that's all that mattered.

_Still,_ he thought as he walked in the direction of Maji burger, _more than once did I feel like my heart was going to leap out of my chest during that photo shoot._

* * *

Kuroko came home that day exhausted. When Kuroko went back to the gym, his team bombarded him with questions about the photo shoot. Riko had to threaten to triple their training before any sort of practice began. But the questions continued well after practice.

"Ah seriously, Kuroko, I still don't get it," Kagami sighed as they walked home. The rest of the team had already left. "It's just too weird seeing you in a magazine."

"Don't worry, it was a one time thing," Kuroko said slurping his milkshake. Kise stayed true to his promise and paid for a month's worth of milkshakes in advance.

"No I mean," Kagami rubbed the back of his neck, "It's just- you looked really nice…" he trailed off.

Kuroko was surprised although it didn't show on his face; Kagami sure said unexpected things sometimes. "Thank you, Kagami-kun."

As Kuroko lay in bed, he thought of everything that had happened that day. Ever since the magazine had hit the shelves, nearly every reader had asked: who was the invisible girl? No one at school, save for his team, recognized him though. _It's okay,_ he reflected. Getting so much attention from his team was a lot already. And he didn't show it at the time, but the critiques really did make him happy. Never mind that they thought he was a girl, a compliment's a compliment.

Kuroko's weak presence had rendered him unnoticeable all his life. He'd become used to it, even to the point of utilizing it for his misdirection. Kuroko was a shadow, and he willingly accepted that fact. But on rare occasions, he did get tired of being unnoticed and ignored. Kuroko recalled the many times he scared people simply by opening his mouth, and many problems that could have been avoided if only he had a stronger presence. _It's nice,_ Kuroko thought before he drifted off to sleep, _to get attention once in awhile…_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leila – the name of the brand Kise and Kuroko modeled, not mentioned in this chapter but will be mentioned later on
> 
> Zunon Boy – taken from KnB's wiki: a fashion/lifestyle magazine that frequently showcases Ryota Kise's modeling work and basketball career
> 
> Iris Models – name of Kise's modeling agency
> 
> To explain why Kise's in a tournament and not Kuroko: Seirin and Kaijou are in different prefectures (Tokyo and Kanagawa respectively). So let's pretend Kise's tournament is only open to schools in his prefecture.
> 
> Also, this was written pre-Rakuzan/Seirin match so... yeah... discrepancies on Kuroko's feelings or other


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While I placed the pairing as Kuroko x GoM, it won't necessarily be romantic for all of them. I'm aiming more for developing their relationships after their Teikou days and mending the rifts that formed between them and that kinda stuff. If anything, it'll lean more towards a single pairing. But the photoshoots are ample opportunity for any _xKuroko and if the first chapter was any indication, there will be a lot.

It was a pleasant day at Yosen High. The western styled gardens throughout the school grew freshly thawed greenery with some early-spring blossoms sprinkled here and there. Among the normal lunchtime chatter, a particularly loud squeal erupted from a group of girls sitting under a tree. A pretty faced student heard the commotion while walking by and became curious.

"Hi girls," the pretty boy waved as he approached the group, "what's that?" He gestured to the magazine all the girls were crowded around.

"Himuro-kun!" their faces lit up, some even blushed. The one who held the magazine, a third year judging by the pins on her uniform spoke up, "It's the latest edition of _Zunon Boy_! Would you like to see?" she extended the magazine towards him.

"I would, thank you," he smiled as his fingers brushed hers, effectively making her blush. He looked at the cover of the magazine. "Ah, it's Kise-kun," he noted a little disappointed. Himuro thought it would be something a little more interesting than another modeling job of the blonde ace.

"No that's not it, Himuro-kun, look closer!" another girl urged. Himuro did as he was told and looked again. His uncovered eye lit up in surprise, "Oh!" He scanned the cover again. _I have to show Atsushi,_ he thought.

He flashed another smile, "May I borrow this?" The girls practically melted.

"Of course!" they conceded in unison. "You can have it, Himuro-kun," a quiet looking girl said. Himuro assumed she was the one who bought the magazine.

This time, Himuro winked and said in English, " _Thank you, ladies._ " He turned and walked away, magazine in hand. The girls erupted into even louder squeals than before.

"Atsushi!" Himuro called as he strolled to the purple giant's desk.

"Hmm~?" Murasakibara lazily mumbled through a mouthful of chips.

"Take a look at this," he placed the magazine on top of the giant's mound of lunchtime snacks.

Murasakibara swallowed his chips and opened a box of Pocky. He peered over at the magazine, "Ahn~ it's Kise-chin," he munched on a Pocky stick, "Kise-chin always does stuff like this." He finished the Pocky stick.

Himuro grinned and pointed at a particular spot on the cover, "Look again."

"Haah~" Murasakibara pouted. He already looked at it; why couldn't Muro-chin let him eat? Nonetheless he turned his violet gaze downwards to the area Himuro had pointed out. It took a few seconds before Murasakibara saw Kuroko.

A Pocky stick fell from his mouth. "Wahh, it's Kuro-chin~!" he said amazed. Himuro took the magazine to open it to the four other spreads.

"There's more too." He sat beside Murasakibara to show the other pictures. The purple haired giant ate his way through another box of Pocky.

"Kuro-chin's a pretty girl~" Murasakibara commented as Himuro flipped through the pages. "Ah, has Kuro-chin always been a girl?" the revelation made him stop chewing a granola bar.

"Idiot, haven't you guys gone to the hotsprings before," Himuro chided.

"Ahh, that's right," he remembered and continued finishing the granola bar.

* * *

"Shin-chan! Look what I found!" Takao darted into the locker room waving a magazine.

"I told you to stop calling me that!" A green-haired teen snapped.

Takao ignored him, "Anyway check this o-" He stopped when he saw Midorima polishing a pickaxe. Takao took a small step back. _Where the heck did he even get that?_

Thankfully, Midorima hid the pickaxe in his locker. Takao breathed a sigh of relief. "Honestly, your lucky items are so scary sometimes."

"You wanted to show me something?"

"Oh!" Takao remembered, handing Midorima the magazine. "The girls were going crazy over it back in class. It's really surprising."

Midorima took the magazine in his bandaged hands and raised an eyebrow, "What, another one of Kise's modeling jobs? That's hardly surprising," he carelessly tossed the magazine into a nearby trash bin. Even without caring, the shooting guard didn't miss.

Takao was irked at the action and went to dig the magazine out of the trash. "Seriously, Shin-chan. What'd you do that for?" He fished it out and brought it back to Midorima.

"Don't touch me, that's filthy!" the shooting guard cringed away.

"There was nothing else in there!" Takao protested. "Anyway, _look!_ " he pointed at the cover. Midorima looked but refused to touch.

"WHAT?!" Disgust apparently forgotten, Midorima grabbed the magazine from Takao, "Why is Kuroko there?!" he looked back and forth between the magazine and Takao, expecting an answer.

Takao sat down on a bench and shrugged, "I dunno. But from what I've seen, everyone's talking about it. Not just the girls either, guys are asking too. Look at the other ones."

Midorima had already turned to the other pictures before Takao suggested it. "Wh- what is this nonsense-" the magazine shook in his hands. He tossed the magazine back to Takao before getting something out of his bag.

"Eh? What are you doing now?"

"I have to make a phone call."

Takao briefly saw a name flash on the screen before Midorima brought the phone to his ear.

Akashi.

* * *

In an empty classroom located on the highest floor of Rakuzan's main building, a certain Akashi Seijuro unhurriedly leafed through the pages of _Zunon Boy_ 's latest issue. To his side lay an abandoned shogi game he had recreated from an old professional tournament.

Unlike everyone else who had seen the magazine, Akashi had noticed Kuroko immediately. A faint glint in his heterochromatic eyes was the only indication of his surprise. He took his time examining the pictures, following the clean lines of a slender neck and the delicate folds that hung loosely around a slight figure. With the lightest of touches, he traced his finger over Kuroko's blank stare. And then his phone rang.

Akashi briefly glanced the caller id before answering evenly, "Hello, Shintarou. It's so rare for you to call. To what do I owe this honor?"

While Midorima spoke, Akashi picked up a shogi piece and toyed with it. "Yes I've seen it. Tetsuya looks quite ravishing. Wouldn't you agree?"

Midorima seemed to raise his voice on the other side of the line. "What will I do? Well…" Akashi's fingers twiddled with the shogi piece. "What Tetsuya does with his life outside of basketball is no concern of mine."

By the response Akashi received, it sounded as if Midorima couldn't believe what he had just said. Akashi gave a low, humorless chuckle, "I'm kidding, Shintarou. Even I know how to make a joke." The other line was silent. "Be patient for now. It seems as if the pieces are still gathering together." With an audible _clack_ , Akashi placed the shogi piece back on the board, evidently winning the recreated match.

"It seems that we will all see each other soon," Akashi said before hanging up.

* * *

"Kise, you really couldn't convince him?" a man asked, obviously downhearted.

"He took your card, but I don't know if he'll call or not," Kise huffed.

"Argh. I don't want another agency to get him first! With an ability like his, we'd be sure to have clients lining up constantly!" Masamune touched his chin, "If only I can get him in another photo shoot, maybe I can get him to reconsider…"

Kise shrugged and looked out the window to recall the events around the photo shoot. The magazine had originally planned to use only one of the pictures for a single page in the magazine. Everything else would have been posted in an online catalogue. But after the pictures came out, the photographer insisted showing all shots to the layout editor. They ended up liking the pictures so much that they turned the original single page into four double page spreads _and_ the cover. It was a big hit.

Kise now regretted asking Kuroko for help. He hadn't expected the photo shoot to be so well received and have everyone asking about the invisible girl. Kise admitted to himself that modeling with Kuroko was extremely fun, but… _It would be better if the excitement around him died down._

"-se. Oi, Kise!" He snapped out of his reverie to look at Masamune questioningly. "I asked: how do you know him?"

"Oh," Kise continued absentmindedly, "we played basketball together in middle school."

It was Masamune's turn to look at Kise questioningly. "At Teikou? That little kid played basketball? Was he your kohai or something?"

 _Ahh… it's been awhile since I've heard someone underestimate him,_ Kise thought. "No, he was one of us. The Generation of Miracles I mean."

Masamune wrestled with this thought. First, he couldn't reconcile the image of a sweet looking girl with a sweaty basketball player. Second, how could that little kid be part of that famous group? Then thoughtfully, "The Generation of Miracles, huh? I remember someone who was obsess-" an idea hit him. Masamune quickly picked up the phone and began dialing furiously. "Thank you, Kise, you can go home now."

Kise gave a polite nod before going home.

* * *

Kuroko walked into the huge lobby of a fancy hotel to find four pairs of eyes trained on him: blue, purple, yellow, and green. Kuroko was unsettled by the weight of their stares. For some reason, all parties present seemed to look at him more intensely than normal. He dismissed it as his imagination.

"Tch, why do I have to see you guys again?" a deep voice grumbled. "And on a Friday night too." Aomine sprawled himself out on a lobby couch, obviously unhappy.

"Aka-chin said there'd be free snacks~" Murasakibara drawled, a plate full of food in his hand.

"Kurokocchi doesn't have a chaperone today!" Kise was sitting in a chair, flipping through a sports magazine. "Aominecchi brought Momoicchi though."

Speaking of whom, "Tetsu-kun!" Momoi appeared and immediately pulled Kuroko into a tight hug.

"Momoi, please refrain from screaming so loudly in public," Midorima rebuked. In his hands he held a snow globe from Kyoto, turning it upside down now and again to pass the time.

Momoi muttered, "Midorin is so mean," before sticking her tongue out at him.

"Good evening, everyone," Kuroko politely greeted.

The animosity present during the Winter Cup had somewhat deceased, and the tension between the ex-team was lessened. Outside of basketball at least, the Generation of Miracles could still consider themselves on friendly terms.

"Someone tell me why Akashi called us here," Aomine groaned.

"I can answer that," a new voice cut in. "Did you enjoy the complimentary snack bar?" All eyes turned towards the new character.

"Hey, Masamune," Kise waved. "Only that guy ate," he gestured towards Murasakibara, "Everyone else wasn't hungry I guess."

"That's fine, Kise," Masamune greeted back. "My name is Masamune Tasuku of Iris Models. I assume this is Aomine Daiki, Murasakibara Atsushi, Midorima Shintarou, and Kuroko Tetsuya?" he received a nod of confirmation from each of them in turn. He scanned the lobby before asking, "Akashi-kun isn't here yet?"

"He's late, as usual," Midorima calmly replied. "You were saying?"

Masamune cleared his throat, "Yes, I asked Akashi-kun to call you here for an interview concerning the Generation of Miracles."

"We've done that before~" Murasakibara said while clearing his plate of food.

Aomine looked up confused, "Generation of Miracles? We graduated more than a year ago, we're not a team anymore."

"I'll be willing to explain the details in a minute. If you will please follow me to the meeting room?" He walked towards the inside of the hotel and led them to an office room. It was only as everyone filed in that he noticed Momoi. "Excuse me, miss, this meeting is only for the members in the Generation of Miracles. I must ask you to leave." Momoi looked stricken and then cast her eyes down, embarrassed.

As she moved to leave, the sound of a low voice caused everyone's head to turn, "Momoi was our manager back at Teikou and proved essential to our team's victory numerous times. There is nothing wrong with her being here." Akashi appeared, his declaration absolute; Masamune conceded.

Momoi blushed even more out of embarrassment. Akashi very rarely gave compliments, and hardly ever acknowledged her role on the team. "Thank you, Akashi-kun." He nodded.

"So nice of you to join us Akashi-kun," Masamune said while taking his seat at the far end of the meeting table. Akashi sat at the other end, his former teammates taking their seats around him. "To continue from our conversation earlier–"

He was cut short by the door slamming open. "TASUKU! IS IT TRUE YOU GOT ME A PHOTOSHOOT WITH _THE_ GENERATION OF MIRACLES?!" This was practically screeched, much to everyone's chagrin. The person responsible was a woman with a mess of hazel waves tied loosely in a ponytail. Underneath her hipster-framed glasses were dark eyes that currently shown with craze. She turned those crazed eyes towards the Generation of Miracles. "OHMYGAWD THEY'RE HERE!" she screeched even louder before. Everyone in the room covered their ears.

"Yuna-san, your voice, _please_ " Masamune had to strain the last word. She glanced back at Masamune, and then the people in the room.

She laughed, "Oh my, I'm so sorry. I just couldn't contain myself! I'm Natashou Yuna, self-employed fashion photographer and art director!" she hastily bowed and then scrutinized the people in the room. "Yes… yes I see it! Seeing them in person has given me a vision! All my old designs must be changed!" Her voice shook in excitement. "Wait! I want to see the famous Kuroko-chan! Where is he?!"

"I'm right here," Kuroko raised his hand. He was sitting directly in front of her.

Natashou gasped in shock. "Ohmygawd, the rumors are true! It's like you appeared out of nowhere! You were beautiful in the _Leila_ shoot by the way." Her eyes flared. "Another vision! This one better than the last! It's so perfect! An entire photo shoot focused on the Generation of Miracles and centered around their phantom player! I must draw up concept designs and prepare the set! TASUKU!" she screeched again.

Masamune sighed, "Yes, Yuna-san?"

"I want them in my studio as soon as possible!" she dashed out of room, leaving everyone in a dazed stupor.

"Please accept my apologies. Yuna-san is brilliant and amazing at what she does, but her personality is a little… over the top."

"Waah, that lady hurt my ears," Murasakibara complained. Although it didn't seem like he was bothered by the way he kept munching on his bag of popcorn.

"Masamune, please explain all this. I'm really confused too." Apparently, Masamune hadn't told Kise all of the details of this meeting.

"Right," Masamune cleared his throat. "As you mentioned, _Basketball Monthly_ wrote an article about you guys before. I contacted them, and they have agreed to do a collaboration. Their focus this time will be on the Generation of Miracle's lives after Teikou and the teams you're currently playing for."

"You mentioned that you work for a modeling agency. If so, why are you telling us this instead of a representative from _Basketball Monthly_?" Midorima observed.

Masamune smiled, "You're quite sharp. That's correct; Iris is a modeling agency. But we have many connections in the business, namely in photography and advertisement. The photos taken in _Basketball Monthly_ are usually by freelance sports photographers who sell them as needed. But with this collaboration, they've agreed to a separate studio shoot as opposed to pictures taken during your games."

Momoi listened intently. Aomine leaned his head back and looked bored. Murasakibara continued to eat. Midorima played with his snow globe. Kise examined his nails. Kuroko stayed impassive as ever. Akashi had his arms crossed. No one spoke; after all, none of them had a right to refuse this offer. A popular sports magazine, _Basketball Monthly_ provided articles and interviews for nationally reputed middle and high school basketball teams all over the country. To be featured was considerably impressive.

"Very well," Akashi spoke. "On behalf of everyone present, we accept your offer. Discuss the details concerning date and time with Momoi. She knows all of our schedules and should be able to coordinate a time when we are all free. When it is finalized, allow her to contact us."

"Wow, Momoicchi has kept tabs on us?" Kise whistled. "How scary~"

Momoi pouted. "Of course I've been paying attention! You're all my biggest rivals now."

"Then excuse us." Akashi stood and everyone followed suit, except Momoi who stayed to speak with Masamune. "Ryota, Tetsuya," Akashi said as they reentered the lobby, "would you like to explain your previous photoshoot?" It wasn't a question.

The other former Teikou players did not leave. Partly because Akashi had yet to dismiss them, and partly because they wanted to hear the answer.

"Kurokocchi was just helping me!" Kise burst out. "I didn't know the photoshoot would be so popular…"

"That wasn't very smart, Ryouta." Akashi's voice was even, but his eyes were narrowed.

"Kise is stupid."

"That coming from Aominecchi?!"

"He just doesn't use his head."

"Midorimacchi, you're so mean…"

"Kise-chin made Aka-chin angryyy."

"EH? Murasakibaracchi, you too?!" Kise's face fell.

"Akashi-kun, please don't get mad at Kise-kun. I was the one who accepted willingly," Kuroko spoke up.

"Kurokocchi's defending me for once?" A smile lit Kise's face.

Akashi slowly turned his gaze towards the phantom player; Kuroko kept his eyes level. "Is that so…" Kuroko nodded, his expression unchanged. After a moment, Akashi mused, "Well then," he strode past Kuroko, "I will see you all at the photoshoot."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Headcanon: Muro-chin's most def a lady's man.


	3. Chapter 3

And that was how the Generation of Miracles showed up early on a Saturday morning to become models for a day. Momoi had worked through everyone's schedules and figured Saturday, a week after their meeting with Masamune, was the soonest time for everyone to be together.

"Satsuki, you seriously couldn't pick a later time?" Aomine complained as they stepped into the elevator of an office building.

"Humph," she lightly whacked Aomine with her clipboard. "It's because no one has weekend practices this early in the season! Only Ki-chan is playing basketball tonight and that's for a tournament. Everyone else is doing non-important things." She began listing with her fingers, "Muk-kun is meeting with Himuro-kun. Tetsu-kun will play street ball with Kagamin. Midorin will go to the bookstore to buy a new horoscope book, and Akashi-kun is going to play shogi with his grandfather."

"Ugh… how unattractive. No one's gonna want to marry a stalker like you."

"Dai-chan!" Momoi hit Aomine more furiously. "That was too cruel!" She kept beating Aomine with her clipboard even as he stepped out of the elevator.

"Alright already! We're here." Momoi stopped hitting Aomine to examine her surroundings.

Natashou Yuna's studio covered the entire floor of a Tokyo skyscraper. It had multiple rooms of various sizes catering to any photographer/art director's needs. A few were for office use, some were for make-up/ costumes, and the bigger ones were dedicated to photoshoots. Momoi and Aomine entered one of those photoshoot rooms. Bright lights and reflectors pointed towards a large white backdrop at the far end of the room. A large video camera was set in front of it, and a table on the side carried more camera equipment. A few female assistants were setting up chairs and adding finishing touches to the set. At the opposite end of the room, three individuals sat in a lounge like set-up complete with chairs and a coffee table.

"Mine-chin and Sa-chin are here~"

"You guys are late."

"Morning, Aominecchi, Momoicchi," Kise yawned.

"Eh? Muk-kun, Midorin, and Ki-chan are here already?" Momoi was surprised. They had agreed to meet at nine, and Momoi and Aomine were only five minutes late, which meant that everyone either came on time or early. _How curious._ Momoi tilted her head to the side.

"Akashicchi is here too. I think he's talking to Masamune downstairs."

"What about Tetsu?" Aomine plopped himself down on the couch.

"Kuro-chin was here first~ something about his hair and makeup taking awhile?"

"Should I wait for them?" Momoi wondered. "I have some things Masamune-san asked me to say."

"It should be fine. If Kuroko was here early, then he should have met Masamune already, and Akashi is with him right now." Midorima stared into the hypnotic colors of his lava lamp.

"I guess you're right…" Momoi said reluctantly. _I wanted to see Tetsu-kun..._ The corners of her mouth turned downward as she spoke, "So basically, each of you will have a photoshoot with Tetsu-kun. When you're done, a journalist from Basketball Monthly will interview you in a separate room. I'll come remind you when it's your turn. Also," she pulled a sheet of paper from her clipboard, "Masamune-san asked me to read this."

She cleared her throat, "Good morning, gentlemen, and welcome to Natashou Yuna's studio. Natashou Yuna is a renowned fashion photographer and art director who has participated in numerous fashion campaigns and art shows. Her most well known and recognizable work would probably be the _EVA_ campaign." At this, everyone _oohed._ They all remembered the EVA advertisements and commercials during middle school. "Today, Yuna-san is working in collaboration with Basketball Monthly to feature the Generation of Miracles in their lives after middle school. What I failed to mention in last week's meeting was that the photoshoot will double as an ad campaign for Leila's new cologne. You will be paid of course. Thank you for your cooperation."

Kise whistled, "Wow, another Leila campaign, huh? They've been getting popular lately."

"If you're trying to imply that your photoshoot's the reason they're gaining popularity, then I have to disagree." Midorima adjusted his glasses.

"I wasn't implying anything! Can't I make a statement without you criticizing me?" Kise sulked.

"Good morning my wonderful assistants! How are you on this lovely day?" Natashou Yuna burst into the room holding a large and rather expensive looking camera. "Where are they? The beautiful Generation of Miracles?" Her eyes alighted on their little corner of the room, and she instantly snapped a few photos. "Teehee, some candid shots before I transform you all into sexy beasts!"

 _The crazy woman appeared,_ five minds thought in unison.

"MAKEUP!" she commanded. Her assistants immediately came forward, tools of their trade in hand. Ignoring loud protests, Natashou continued, "While my lovely team does your hair and makeup, I will go over some details for today's shoot."

Aomine coughed on foundation powder. "Since none of you have modeling experience, and therefore don't know what to do in front of a camera…"

Murasakibara whined after feeling his hair being tied back. "I expect you to follow my instructions without complaint or hesitation, okay?"

Midorima squawked when a girl put mousse in his hair. "Okay. And even though you're advertising cologne, you won't actually be wearing it. The bottle is edited in later."

Momoi giggled at their plight. "You will also be barefoot and wear pants from _Leila_ 's previous fall/winter line."

Kise didn't resist and sat patiently. "Also, you may wear your shirts for now, but you must remove it in your couple shot with Kuroko-chan."

"What? No one told us we were going to pose half-naked!" Midorima exclaimed, finally released from his makeup artist.

"Ehh, is Midorimacchi unconfident about his body?" Kise teased.

"Yuna-sensei! Matte or glossy?" a voice called from the door.

"Glossy!" she yelled back, taking pictures of the freshly made-up Generation of Miracles.

"The hell I am. In order to increase the accuracy of one's horoscope, one must possess a healthy mind and body. For that reason, I am top of my class and hold myself as the pinnacle of human perfection!"

Aomine scoffed, his hair and makeup finished as well. "If it's like that then my body's way better than yours."

A voice called out again, "Yuna-sensei! 'First Date' or 'Morning After'?"

"Morning After!" The photographer's finger never once left the shutter.

"Ahh, me too! My tummy hasn't grown big at all~" with a mouth still full of chips, Murasakibara lifted his shirt to reveal an immense set of washboard abs. The female staff drooled.

Kise poked the giant's stomach, "Hasn't it gotten chubbier since last time? I think all the snacking has finally caught up to you!" Murasakibara dropped his shirt; the girls sighed in disappointment.

"You're lying Kise-chin. I haven't gotten fatter," Murasakibara huffed, eating another chip.

"Heh… Unlike you, my abs are way better than they were in middle school." To prove his point, Aomine lifted his shirt and showed an incredibly chiseled six-pack. Girls were practically falling over now.

"Psh, show-off. Mine looks better than that." Kise lifted his shirt to compare and although similar, Kise's abdomen stood out more prominently than Aomine's. Kise would later explain that it was for his job; he had to be super strict with his diet and workout regimen.

The argument stopped abruptly when Kuroko stepped into the room "Uhm, I'm sorry, but I think this is the wrong size." He tried to roll up the sleeves of his sweater and looked uncomfortable. A collective gasp escaped the mouths of everyone present. "It's too big," he added. Kuroko was right. He practically floated in the oversized sweater, the sleeves reaching well past his hands. It was simple cashmere of a silvery-gray color, the fabric thin enough that it looked see-through in certain lighting. It reached mid-thigh, and fell loosely over Kuroko's shoulder. His powder-blue wig looked completely natural and had been teased and hairsprayed to a fixed state of disarrangement. But rather than looking messy, the disheveled hair made one think of a long, sleepless night that led to the 'morning after.'

Mouths dropped and eyes dilated. In crass terms, Kuroko looked absolutely _fuckable_.

There were stars in Natashou's eyes. "No, Kuroko-kun, it's perfect! You look absolutely scrumptious! Great job, Kana!" she threw a thumbs up at her make-up artist.

"So," Natashou smiled, "Who wants to go first?" Sparkles practically radiated out of her being. Unfortunately, no one else seemed to share her enthusiasm. The models-for-the-day remained silent, their mouths gaping. "Eh? No takers?" She glanced around the room, "Kise-kun, since you're the most experienced here, would you like to set the example?"

Kise recovered from his daze and grinned meekly, "My pleasure."

"Hold on a moment," Natashou said before Kise and Kuroko could step on the backdrop. "GIRLS! Bring the bed in here!" The Generation of Miracles blinked. _Bed?_ They all seemed to ask. "Ufufu," another star glinted in Natashou's eyes. "Yes, a bed is the perfect prop! And it works flawlessly with your outfits, no?" It was true. With their state of undress, a bed fit very well. The assistants arranged the bed sideways so that the headboard faced the right. "Alright, guys," Natashou held up her camera, "please climb onto the bed."

Kise and Kuroko gave each other a look before doing as they were told. They stood by the bedside, and then they sat down. Natashou's expression turned dull. "Kise-kun, I asked you to be first because I know you're used to this. Don't tell me your modeling is always this boring." She tilted her head to the side.

"N-no, it's just… having an audience is kind of intimidating." He pointed to the other members of the Generation of Miracles who were watching attentively.

"Oh? Is this any different from your basketball games? The audience is even larger during those times isn't it?" her high voice somehow dropped an octave. "Coming from a member of the renowned 'Generation of Miracles,' I expected a level of maturity and professionalism that surpassed people your age. Or was I wrong to assume this?"

Kise stiffened, "You're not wrong, but-"

"Kise-kun," she interjected, "Given my credentials and experience, do you respect my abilities as a photographer?"

"Yes."

"Then can I trust you to do as I say in matters regarding this photoshoot? And you will act maturely and not protest to my instructions?"

"... Yes."

"Wonderful!" Natashou's voice and expression returned to normal, "then Kise-kun, please climb into bed with Kuroko-chan and give me a nice pose, okay? I heard you were fantastic at improvising."

Kise took a deep breath and transformed his anxious attitude to one of confidence. With a smirk, he leaned back on the headboard and easily pulled Kuroko into his lap. Kuroko's eyes slightly widened in surprise, but before he could say anything Kise said, "Kurokocchi~ you have to be mature too and not protest okay?" Kuroko nodded and looked down on Kise. He briefly recalled their lotus pond picture.

Natashou was already snapping away, taking many shots from different angles. "EEK! That's perfect, guys! Hold that pose a little longer. Kuroko-chan, place your arms around Kise-kun's neck. Hold that for a moment. Kise-kun, look at me and smirk. Oh! That's good, hold it!"

* * *

On the other side of the room out of earshot, Aomine observed, "O- Oi… Isn't Tetsu's shirt riding up?" Kise had lifted Kuroko by his waist and had caused the fabric to bunch up in that area.

"It is," Midorima agreed.

* * *

"Kurokocchi, are you wearing anything under this?" Kise asked, noticing the great amount of thigh Kuroko was exposing.

"Just my boxers," he replied expressionless.

"Pull it down a little..." Kise used his left hand that had been holding Kuroko's waist to fix the sweater. In the process, he tugged Kuroko even closer.

"SO CUTE! Stay like that!" More snaps from her camera were heard. "Ahh one more pose, and then I think you'll be good. Uhm… Kuroko-chan, lie on the bed like your sleeping and face me. Good. Kise-kun, lay behind him but prop yourself up with your arm. Look down on Kuroko and touch his face like you're stroking it. Perfect! Hold it there."

Even though Kise was told to only touch his face, he followed through with the instructions and stroked the 'sleeping' Kuroko's face as one would a lover. It was a very romantic gesture that caused the female staff to sigh in content. Natashou was drooling as well. She'd already taken multiple shots.

"Thank you, Kise-kun," Natashou pulled herself back together. "That was fantastic! I knew I could count on you." Kise pulled himself up from the bed and walked back to his former team members, smirking all the while. Kuroko got up as well and stared after him, touching his cheek in the process. "Now," Natashou's high-pitched voice pierced the room, "You're all a competitive bunch, right? Who would like to top that?" And in her mind, _pun intended._

"I'll go," Midorima stood up, much to everyone's surprise. "There's no way I'd lose to someone who's horoscope for the day is worse than mine." He pulled off his shirt as he approached the bed, tossing it on a nearby table. Though his abdomen wasn't as flawlessly sculpted as Aomine and Kise's, it was wonderfully flat, and faint lines of muscle definition led down to a well toned v-cut. Midorima's greatest appeal probably lay in his pectorals which, the girls knew, was due to numerous hours spent working on one's upper body. As he moved, the muscles rippled under his skin with the easy grace of an athlete.

When he reached the side of the bed, Kuroko met his gaze with his usual blank stare. Midorima's eye twitched. "Ugh… even though I said that, we still don't get along very well."

"Professionalism, Midorima-kun," Kuroko reminded him. Midorima's eye twitched again.

"Natashou-san, I'm not a model like Kise and don't know what do to. Some instruction would be helpful," Midorima turned towards Natashou.

She stopped drooling to think, "Hmm… Midorima-kun's selling points would be his eyes and hands… I got it!" She instructed them to sit on the same side of the bed while facing each other. "Kuroko-chan, tuck your legs beneath you like you're in a seiza position. Midorima-kun, keep one of your legs on the floor. Now sit closer to each other. Closer."

At the moment, the two were having a staring contest. Kuroko's face expressionless, Midorima's in a scowl. Natashou reproved, "Midorima-kun, relax your face. Both of you raise your hands together as if you're comparing them." Kuroko obeyed and held his hands in front of him, palms facing Midorima. Midorima mirrored him, and placed his bandaged hands against Kuroko's. Even though they were wrapped, Midorima's fingers were rather elegant.

"Ah, Midorima-kun's hands are bigger than mine," Kuroko observed.

"Naturally," he asserted, "I'm almost thirty centimeters taller than you." Kuroko's bottom lip stuck out the smallest fraction.

 _So cute…_ Natashou thought as she took a few shots. "Kuroko-chan, tilt your head down and look at your hands. Straighten your back a little too. Midorima-kun, if you can angle your face a little more towards the camera… perfect! Now look at Kuroko. No, too low, look at a spot above Kuroko's head. Good! Hold that pose!" _Click. Click. Click._ Went her camera multiple times.

* * *

"Ki-chan!" Momoi called, not interrupting the shoot across the room. "Akashi-kun just finished. It's your turn for the interview."

"Whaa? I wanna watch!" Kise looked from the photoshoot to Momoi with puppy-eyes.

"Then don't take too long!"

Kise slumped and grudgingly got up to leave, just as Akashi came back. "Hi Akashicchi," Kise mumbled, still displeased.

"Ryota," Akashi greeted back. He cast his gaze towards the photoshoot before setting himself down in a chair.

"Midorin's turn just came up," Momoi offered helpfully. Akashi nodded.

* * *

"Okay, next pose!" Kuroko and Midorima relaxed. "I'm going to do some close-ups now," Natashou said as she moved closer towards the pair. "Please come closer together. Closer. Kuroko-chan, I want you to be at least three centimeters away. Place your hands on your knees and look up at Midorima-kun. Midorima-kun, angle yourself forty-five degrees between me and Kuroko-chan, but keep your eyes on him. Okay, now take the arm closest to me and brush Kuroko-chan's hair behind his ear."

Midorima's compliance made Kuroko's eyes widen slightly; he hadn't expected such obedience from Midorima. The proximity of his and Midorima's face was unsettling. After brushing Kuroko's hair away, Midorima strayed from Natashou's instructions. To Kuroko's surprise, he trailed his fingers underneath his jawline to tilt the chin upwards. "Who are you calling unprofessional now?"

In the background, Kuroko heard shutter clicks. "So cute! I'm gonna go home and photoshop flowers and bubbles behind the two of you! One more pose, okay?" Kuroko and Midorima lingered in place before relaxing again. "No wait, go back to what you just did. Midorima-kun, prop your leg up and use it as an armrest for the hand you just used. I'm going to do a continuous shot for this one. Kuroko-chan, I want you to _slowly_ remove Midorima-kun's glasses and wear them, okay?" She had to emphasized the word.

Kuroko didn't know how slow she wanted him to go, so he tried to make the action as deliberate as possible. While Kuroko _very slowly_ removed Midorima's glasses, he noted the color of his eyes. Rather than emeralds, as others usually compared them to, Midorima's eyes reminded him of something else. Kuroko searched his brain trying to think of the resemblance. Not emeralds, Midorima's eyes were more like… leaves. _That's it,_ Kuroko thought. They were the color of leaves as sunlight filtered through the trees. His eyes were usually hidden behind glasses so no one really noticed, but Midorima's eyes were never one shade of green. Kuroko paused for a moment, staring at the sunlit eyes. He almost forgot to wear the glasses as had been instructed. He hurriedly put them on, forgetting to move slowly.

There was a moment of silence because of Kuroko's sudden movement. Then, much to everyone's surprise, Midorima erupted into laughter. _Click. Click. Click._ Seeing Midorima's happy face stunned the entire room – especially the Generation of Miracles. "Kuroko," he said between chuckles, "you look ridiculous in glasses."

Kuroko's eyebrows knitted at the comment, the glasses still on his face. "Your glasses are the ridiculous ones." Kuroko rebuked. Natashou continued taking photos.

"Wow~ that was impressive Midorima-kun! I didn't know you could make a face like that. Good job!" Natashou commended.

"Am I done now?" Midorima asked, already getting up from the bed. _My horoscope said I would be successful in my endeavors today,_ Midorima remembered smugly. He received a nod in response and gently pulled the glasses from Kuroko's face, his expression settling into a smirk.

"Alright then!" Natashou recovered from her star-struck glee. "Who's next?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Concerning their argument over their bodies: I've played sports before and have had many athlete friends. I've yet to meet a varsity-level athlete who isn't even a little conceited about their body. They're usually so proud of their abs~


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In other news: This fanfic is just an excuse for me to describe sexy half naked kiseki no sedai menz with prettier-than-you-uke Kuroko. Any semblance of a plot is inconsequential. I apologize for misleading all of you. #Jknotreally

"Dai-chan, you have to go to the dressing room and change." Momoi handed Aomine dark slacks.

"Wha? Why?" Aomine turned his gaze away from Kuroko and Midorima comparing hands.

"Because we came late, and you're the only one who isn't dressed!"

He glanced around to see that the others were indeed dressed in the designer pants. They also wore their own shirts, but those would be removed when their turn came. "How early did you guys even get here?" he mumbled and headed towards a dressing room.

Once inside, Aomine quickly changed. As he prepared to leave, he stopped at his reflection in the mirror. A tall and incredibly tan person with a shock of dark blue hair scowled back at him. He peered closer to see what the makeup artists had done. _They just made it look cleaner,_ Aomine concluded. Yet he continued to stare at his reflection.

Aomine should have been the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome. Except while all could agree with the two former, few agreed with the latter. Aomine wasn't handsome in the strict sense of the word. Stunning maybe, but not exactly handsome. Unlike Kise's classic model good looks, Aomine probably ranked above average. In addition, his often laid-back and apathetic personality would hardly make a random passerby look twice. But they did, and that was because he exuded an aura of undeniable confidence. Aomine's true attractiveness shone through his posture, his voice, his eyes, and of course his basketball.  _This modeling thing is bullshit. I'd rather be playing ball. _What am I doing here?__ Aomine asked himself. _  
_

His mind quickly flashed to the scene from earlier. Kuroko had fidgeted in the doorway, uncomfortable in the oversized sweater. His purposely disheveled wig framed his small face and brought out sky in his eyes. If Aomine could differentiate colors, he would know Kuroko's lips were painted with coral gloss. It was a color pink enough to provide contrast to pale skin and orange enough to look natural. The off one shoulder sweater had exposed a prominent collarbone that betrayed the boy's thin figure. He just looked so pure. No one would be able to distinguish this image with the basketball champion.

After seeing Kuroko in those pictures, Aomine couldn't get the shadow out of his mind. He tried looking at other magazines; magazines filled cover to cover with scantily clad, incredibly busty women. He would stare at them, trying to recover the pleasure he'd once derived from their paper figures. But all he would see were eyes that weren't blue. Hair that wasn't the sky. And lips that had never said his name. Aomine slammed his fist into the wall. _Damn those pictures._

As he trudged back into the studio, he met Midorima who was on his way out. "Done already?" Aomine asked. He received a nod before Midorima closed the door behind him.

"Dai-chan, you missed it! Midorin laughed! He actually laughed!"

"Weehh, I can't believe I missed it too," Kise slumped in a chair.

"Midorima? Laughing? I don't believe it." Aomine fell back on the couch.

"It's true, Mido-chin laughed~" Murasakibara was eating his way through a tub of cheese balls.

Akashi stayed silent. For some reason, their fearless leader had tucked himself in the corner, arms crossed, coolly observing the events across the room.

"Can I have Aomine-kun come up?" Natashou asked.

Kise snickered, "This will be great! Have fun, Aominecchi!"

Momoi clapped her hands, "Maybe Dai-chan can prove he can do something besides basketball!"

"Good one Momoicchi!" They high-fived each other.

"Tch." Aomine rose from his seat. _I'm going to punch that blonde idiot in the face after this._ Aomine peeled off his shirt and threw it unceremoniously on his seat. The female staff gawked. _I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for him._ His abs had been marvelous, but as he made his way towards the set, everyone noticed his incredibly defined back. _Damn this modeling bullshit._ A deep valley carved its way along his spine, emphasizing the powerful muscles that rippled as he moved. _It's all his fault._ His way of rolling his shoulders as he walked caused the shoulder blades to cut shadows across his form.

"Are you alright, Aomine-kun?" Kuroko asked politely. He was still sitting on the bed and watching an extremely pissed off looking Aomine heading towards him.

Aomine scowled, "Peachy." Actually, he was thoroughly pissed off. _It's Kise's fault,_ he thought, shooting a glare at said person. _It's all Kise's fault._

"Aomine-kun, could you pick Kuroko-chan up bridal style and face me?"

He complied without protest, easily lifting a startled blue-haired boy. Aomine's immediate thought was, _He weighs nothing. Is he eating properly?_ It was all Kise's fault. Aomine already established that. He looked down at the boy in his arms. The combined effect of bright lights and the white background created an ethereal glow around Kuroko. _And yet_ …

Thanks to Kise, he was holding Tetsu in his arms. Unconsciously, Aomine buried his face in Kuroko's hair trying to burn the scent into his mind.

"Oh! Hold that!" _Click. Click. Click._ Natashou and her female staff squealed in delight.

Suddenly, Aomine yelped in pain. "OW! Tetsu, what was that for?!" Kuroko had jabbed Aomine's side.

"You're crushing me," Kuroko looked up, the slightest hint of a frown on his face.

 _Damn this guy's face…_ "Sorry." Aomine loosened his hold.

"You called him Tetsu. Are you guys close?"

"Hah? Yeah, we've been friends since middle school."

Natashou's eyes sparkled. "Sit down and continue holding him in that pose then. Kuroko-chan, wrap your arms around his neck. Hunch your shoulders just a little. Now bring your foreheads together." Aomine's scowl deepened. "Aomine-kun, relax your face. Can't you make it look a little kinder?" His scowl stayed. "Here, close your eyes, count to ten. Kuroko-chan?" Aomine did as instructed and slowly counted to ten. _Click. Click. Click._ When he finally opened his eyes he stared directly into a blank face not a centimeter from his own. _Click. Click. Click._ Aomine barely had time to hide the shock that crossed his face and then briefly thanked God for giving him dark skin that easily hid his blush. He stayed frozen and tried to keep his face steady.

"Kuroko-chan, sit on the side of the bed again, closer to the headboard. Aomine-kun, lie on his lap. Kuroko-chan, look at him, angle your face a little higher so I can see it. Now if you can stroke his hair… good. Aomine-kun, cup Kuroko-chan's face. Use the hand closer to him, pretend you're wiping away a tear or something."

Kuroko stroked Aomine's hair as he was told; he hadn't expected it to be so soft. As he ran his fingers through cobalt blue, Kuroko thought how strange it was that even Aomine complied with Natashou's instructions. It's usually so difficult to make the hotheaded ace do anything he was told. Aomine reached up, held a small face in his hand, and thinly traced the outline of Kuroko's eye with his thumb. "Ne, Tetsu, have your eyes always been this big?" _Click. Click. Click._ The females of the room sighed in happiness.

Kuroko pulled the skin around Aomine's eyes until they were tiny slits. "Have your eyes always been this small?" he quipped and then flicked his forehead.

"Oi!" Aomine grabbed Kuroko's wrists and rose from his lap. A faint smile ran through Kuroko's lips. _Click. Click. Click._

"Kuroko-chan, stay how you are. Aomine-kun, please sit behind him. Make sure Kuroko-chan is between your legs. Good. Wrap one arm diagonally around his waist and the other around his neck. No, that's a death grip. Place your hand over his neck like you're choking him but in a sexy non-threatening way."

Aomine sat on the edge of the bed with Kuroko in his lap. He wrapped his arms around the slight figure and rested his head on the crook of Kuroko's neck. Aomine's current thought was: _payback_.

"Kuroko-chan, look straight at the camera. Aomine-kun, turn your head like you're whispering something in his ear, but keep your eyes here."

Aomine growled " _Tetsu…_ " into the pale neck. He grinned when he felt Kuroko shiver and saw pale ears flush pink beneath a mess of blue hair. And then completely on a whim, Aomine _bit_ the boy's ear.

Kuroko's eyes flew wide and he jerked away, hand to his ear. Aomine clutched him even tighter. "Aomine-kun, that was unnecessary!" He structured the sentence as an exclamation, but his voice only rose slightly from its usual sound level.

Aomine raised an eyebrow, "Wasn't that good though?" he directed his question to Natashou, who had hearts in her eyes. She recovered and adjusted her glasses.

"Aomine-kun, you're a genius."

He simpered, clearly satisfied by the praise. "See? Basketball isn't my only talent." Kuroko's eyes narrowed. "OW! Why'd you do that again?!" Kuroko had jabbed Aomine's side again. Harder this time.

"Natashou-san, I think Aomine-kun's finished, don't you?" He asked the photographer ever so politely.

"Man, Tetsu. When'd you become so sensitive?" Aomine rubbed his side and got up from the bed.

"Yes, Aomine-kun's finished. You two have so many good shots!" Natashou squeed as she flipped through the pictures in her camera. "Get Murasakibara-kun for me, please?" She asked Aomine as he headed back to the corner of models-for-the-day.

* * *

"What was that, Dai-chan?!" After watching Aomine and Kuroko's shoot, Momoi was flushed red.

"I didn't think you'd get so into it, Aominecchi." Kise frowned.

"Hmph." Aomine grunted. He tried putting on an air of indifference, but inside he was quite please with himself. Aomine lazily put his shirt back on and threw himself on the couch. "Oi, Murasakibara. It's your turn."

"Ehh~" Murasakibara had just finished the giant tub of cheeseballs. All the same, he rose from his seat and staggered to the set.

* * *

"Kuroko-san," a voice called from behind.

Kuroko turned to see his make-up artist. "Hello again. Can I help you?"

"Roll up your sleeves and hold out your wrists, please," she kindly asked.

"What for?" He asked, curious, but did as he was told.

"You'll see," she smiled and sprayed his wrists and hands with what looked like an oddly shaped perfume bottle.

Kuroko opened his mouth to ask again when Natashou said, "Murasakibara-kun, please remove your shirt and put away the chocolate." The giant had made his way to the set munching his way through a large chocolate bar.

"Do I have to?" he drawled. Murasakibara peeled off his shirt but kept the chocolate in his mouth.

Natashou regarded him for a moment. Is it even possible for a sixteen year old to be over two meters tall? His gigantic size was even more apparent as she craned her neck to look up at him. "Alright, keep the chocolate…" she said slowly. His limbs were so incredibly long. Natashou eyed the monster's legs with admiration. Any model would kill to have such long legs _and_ torso. But she was more put off by Murasakibara's leanness. With his excessive eating, Murasakibara would be expected to have at least _some_ fat, but there wasn't any. In fact, there didn't seem to be any ounce of fat on his body. The skin stretched tight over his muscles that contracted with every small movement. And despite his colossal size, he wasn't very clumsy. Natashou noted that he moved with a certain fluidity uncharacteristic of his outer appearance. _Some runway models could take a few lessons from him,_ she thought to herself.

She shook her head to concentrate back on her work. "Okay Murasakibara-kun, sit at the center of the bed and lean back on the headboard. Kuroko-chan, sit in his lap."

This time Kuroko hesitated. He and Murasakibara hadn't really talked since the Winter Cup, and he wasn't sure what do to with the purple-haired giant.

But Murasakibara was already on the bed. "Kuro-chin~ come 'ere." He held his arms out towards the shadow. Kuroko slightly widened his eyes but climbed into the giant's lap.

"Murasakibara-kun doesn't have to bribed with food for once?" he asked tentatively.

"Ehh~ what do you mean? She let me keep my chocolate," he took bite as if to prove his point.

"Murasakibara-kun, could you feed Kuroko-chan the chocolate?"

Murasakibara looked from his chocolate bar to Natashou to his former teammates across the room and then shrugged. "Kuro-chin, say 'Ahh~'" Kuroko was so shocked that he unwittingly opened his mouth and let Murasakibara feed him the last of the chocolate bar. "This chocolate reminds me of the chili cracker sticks you won for me a long time ago. Do you remember?" Kuroko tasted the hint of spiciness in the chocolate. Where did he get this?

"Actually, I'm surprised that _you_ remember, Murasakibara-kun," Kuroko said after swallowing the treat.

"Waah, is Kuro-chin making fun of me?" Murasakibara pouted childishly and pulled Kuroko closer to him. _Click. Click. Click._

"It was a long time ago, Murasakibara-kun."

"Kuro-chin is being a meany!" He used both hands to tousle the boy's wig.

"Murasakibara-kun, please let go," Kuroko asked, knitting his eyebrows and placing his hands atop the giant's in an effort to make him stop.

Murasakibara paused before saying, "Wah, Kuro-chin's hands are so little~" He held the fragile looking hands in his monstrous ones. Murasakibara brought Kuroko's hands closer to his face to examine them better when, "What's that smell?"

Kuroko looked at him curiously, "What are you talking about, Murasakibara-kun?"

The giant didn't answer. Instead, he breathed in the scent of Kuroko's hand. "It smells like…" he licked Kuroko's palm, "strawberries." Kuroko immediately tried to pull his hand away, but Murasakibara held firm and continued to trace his tongue over the small hand. _Click. Click. Click._

* * *

Momoi's eyes flew wide. _Uuu… good thing I sent Dai-chan to get interviewed before he could see this,_ she thought. _I don't know what he'd do if he was here…_ Currently, the Generation of Miracles plus Momoi ogled at the events unfolding across the room.

"Wha-what's that idiot doing?" Midorima sputtered, plainly scandalized.

"Why does everyone else get to do suggestive poses with Kurokocchi?" Kise whined, forgetting that he had had an entire 'suggestive' photoshoot with Kuroko all by himself.

Once again, Akashi kept his silence.

* * *

"St- stop that…" Kuroko stammered, still trying to pull his hand away.

"Kuro-chin, your hands taste like strawberries~" Murasakibara ignored him and trailed from the palm to the wrist, pulling the smaller boy closer. Kuroko's hands were both being held captive and close to Murasakibara's face.

With some effort, Kuroko managed to stretch the hand that wasn't being eaten and yanked a handful of purple hair. "Ow!" Murasakibara let go of Kuroko's hands to grab his hair. Kuroko scrambled away and stood at the edge of the set, keeping his wrists to his chest. "Kuro-chin, that was really mean." Murasakibara said petulantly. His droopy eyes narrowed.

Natashou tried to hide her smile and somewhat failed. She dropped her camera for the moment. "Murasakibara-kun, did you hear the speech I gave Kise-kun earlier? Please act maturely and don't do anything that will make Kuroko-chan uncomfortable. Just listen to my instructions okay?"

"Waahh~" Murasakibara stretched out his long legs on the bed, "Why am I the only one getting bullied? Mido-chin and Mine-chin didn't listen to instructions either~" he sulked.

"But it won't do if our main model refuses to participate, right?" She gestured towards Kuroko who was still glaring at Murasakibara. "Please apologize and say you'll listen to my instructions."

Murasakibara made a sort of whine, "Finee~" He looked at Kuroko and held his arms out again, "Kuro-chin, I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable. Please come back." Kuroko edged back towards the bed but regarded Murasakibara more carefully this time.

"Okay, go back to your last pose and angle more towards me. Kuroko-chan, keep your back towards Murasakibara-kun this time. Murasakibara-kun, wrap your arms around him and put your chin on his head. Okay good, now pretend you have something in your hands and hold it." Murasakibara placed his head atop Kuroko's with ease.

"Ahh, Kuro-chin really is so small~"

"No, you're just freakishly big," Kuroko mumbled.

"Haah~?"

"Kuroko-chan, lean back and pretend you're asleep; rest your head on his shoulder. Murasakibara-kun, keep your arms around him but look to the side." Kuroko closed his eyes and let himself fall on the broad chest. He had always been envious of Murasakibara _._ How could they be the same age and be so different? Why was Murasakibara born with natural talent while Kuroko had to work so hard to improve? _Click. Click. Click._

"Wonderful! Good job, boys!" Natashou beamed and quickly reviewed the pictures on her viewfinder. "Alright, Akashi-kun next and then we can wrap this shoot up!"

* * *

"What did I miss?" Aomine came back from his interview to find Murasakibara already finished and eating his way through another bag of chips.

"Oh, you're back." Momoi didn't answer Aomine. "Mukkun, it's your turn to get interviewed!" Murasakibara stood and left the room. Kise, Midorima, and Akashi also offered no answer to Aomine's question. Thankfully, Aomine thought nothing of it and plopped himself back on the couch.

"Akashi-kun! Please come up!" Natashou called from the other side of the room.

Their fearless leader emerged from his little corner. He smoothly removed his shirt and lightly placed it on an unoccupied chair. The room fell silent. Akashi was short; rather, he seemed to be. He was actually of average height for a teenage boy his age. However, since he was constantly surrounded by his teammates and opponents he always seemed smaller. But his comparative shortness was never an issue. Akashi carried himself taller than anyone. Certainly no one could feel as if they were looking down on him. His physique was nowhere near average as well. To a trained eye, Akashi had perfectly balanced muscle tone; the kind that could only be obtained through careful and constant training. Not only that, every movement of his was deliberate and elegant. He walked with the air of a king.

Kuroko unconsciously stiffened as he watched Akashi stroll across the room. An approaching Akashi was intimidating no matter the circumstance. The red-haired point guard stopped at the edge of the bed and look down at Kuroko with his mismatched eyes. "Hello, Tetsuya."

"Akashi-kun," Kuroko gave a small nod.

"Okay then!" Natashou spoke, slightly trembling under the tension that suddenly pervaded the room. "Akashi-kun, if you could-"

Akashi Seijurou does not take orders. Ever. Before Natashou had even opened her mouth, Akashi had already moved. Kuroko barely had time to blink before he felt himself being shoved onto the bed. Akashi crouched over him, his crimson and gold eyes flashing strangely.

"… or not. That pose is good too!" Natashou went on to take pictures.

Low enough so only Kuroko could hear, "Do you know why I was angry at Ryouta the other day?" Akashi asked. The blue haired boy gave a small shake of his head, his eyes trained to the other's.

A shadow flitted across Akashi's eyes. "Tetsuya, are you having fun?"

"I don't know what you mean, Akashi-kun."

"Do you like modeling, Tetsuya? Do you enjoy having so many eyes on you," he bent lower, "getting so much attention… seeing yourself all over the country…"

"…"

"You haven't thought about it, have you." Akashi focused his dichromatic eyes towards Kuroko. "If you keep going like this, do you know how it will affect your basketball." Kuroko turned his head away. "Your basketball," Akashi pulled Kuroko's face back forward, "works through your misdirection, your lack of presence, your ability to seem invisible. Without it, you are a half-rate player at best. But if you so choose to continue amusing yourself with _this_ ," his eyes flicked to the camera, "you might never be able to play basketball again."

Kuroko pursed his lips into a straight line.

"Tetsuya," Akashi purred, stroking Kuroko's cheek. "I'm only looking out for what's best for you. I _know_ that you love basketball more than anything else in the world. And I don't want to see you unable to play because of a… frivolous whim." He ran his fingers through sky-blue hair and grazed a feather-like kiss on a pale forehead. "Do you understand?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The metric system throws me off so much. Mukkun is supposed to be 6'10"! It's just so hard to imagine. The average height of an NBA player is only 6'6" or something too…
> 
> Also, yay for –Replace- novel references! I know in Mexican Hot Cocoa they add spices, but I don't know if they do that with chocolate bars too? Anyway let's pretend it exists.
> 
> edit: they exist and now I want one!


	5. Chapter 5

" _So…" Momoi gathered everyone's attention, "The first calligraphy of the year!" It was their second year of middle school, and New Years had come and gone. Momoi wanted to start off the year with a declaration of love in the form of a pretty piece of calligraphy: 'I love Tetsu-kun!' Showing it to the Teikou starters, she was obviously pleased with her brushwork. Kuroko looked up from his book, surprised. Everyone else, apparently used to Momoi's declarations of love, just sighed in irritation._

" _Eh…" Kise pulled a face._ She's like this so early in the morning…

" _Too much bother…" Murasakibara knit his eyebrows._ So troublesome.

" _Haa…" Midorima huffed._ She's doing it all wrong.

" _Huuh?!" Aomine scowled._ What is this crazy woman talking about?

_Akashi, calmer than everyone else, asked "What do you mean by 'So…'?"_

" _I'm saying, let's write our goals for the year one by one!" Momoi replied cheerily._

_Aomine interjected, "Hey! Why do we have to do something annoying like that?"_

_Midorima coughed, attracting everyone's attention, "Hu... I'm done." He adjusted his glasses to hide a pleased grin. Calligraphy at the start of the New Year was sure to increase one's luck for the rest of the year. Besides, Midorima wasn't one to give up a chance to show off his skills. The shooting guard swiftly wrote the proverb, 'Man proposes, God disposes,' with neat brushstrokes._

" _Ah yeah yeah –" Kise waved it off. Midorima said that way too often for it to be any special. While the shooting guard sputtered, "What's up with that reaction?!" Kise took a brush and wrote his own goal. "I'm done!" he announced. His brushstrokes were finer and more delicate than Midorima's, but they said, 'Devote myself to the modeling industry!'_

" _Don't!" Midorima said displeased. Their newest starter should be more concentrated on basketball. Basketball!_

_Aomine scoffed and took a brush as well. "Here," he said after a second._

" _That was fast…" Kise peered over._

_Midorima leaned over and saw that Aomine had drawn a stick figure holding a basketball. "... the hell. Do it seriously!"_

" _Haa~ what a pain in the ass…" Murasakibara mumbled. He quickly wrote one word with thick uneven strokes, 'CANDY.'_

" _Wha- That's not even a goal!" the shooting guard fumed. Was no one going to do this properly?_

_The sound of Akashi setting down his brush caused everyone to look at his calligraphy. '100 games, 100 victories,' it read in perfect brushwork._

" _Why did you write the club's slogan?!" Midorima had expected more from Akashi at least._

_In his quiet voice, Kuroko spoke up, "It's the goal for the new year, so everyone please do it seriously."_

" _Kuroko…" Midorima turned hopeful. Did someone finally understand the importance of this task? With smaller brushstrokes than everyone else, Kuroko had written 'To stand out.'_

" _Oohhh…" Everyone seemed to say together._

" _Wait," Midorima realized, "You can't do that!"_

" _But isn't that impossible for Kuro-chin~?" Murasakibara opened a bag of chips._

_Aomine snickered and ruffled Kuroko's hair, "Haha, good luck with that, Tetsu."_

" _Ahh Kurokocchi wouldn't be able to play if he stood out, right?" Kise patted Kuroko on the back._

_Momoi wrapped her arms around Kuroko's neck, "I like Tetsu-kun better like this! If no one can see him then I don't have to share."_

_Akashi glanced over but said nothing._

Kuroko opened his eyes. _A dream…_ he realized. Even back then he was told not to stand out. At that time he dismissed it as teasing, but deep down it had hurt. Truly, him being noticeable wouldn't affect his basketball right? That year he tried many times to find away to be noticed, but to no avail. No matter what he did, he stayed invisible. _It's for the best_ , he had thought. _I'm no use to the team if I'm seen_. So he suffered in silence, and pushed the feeling of discontentment from his mind. He glanced at the clock. It was a little too early to get ready for school, but he got out of bed. He figured he couldn't go back to sleep anyway. Kuroko checked his calendar, _Monday._

* * *

The advertisement became the talk of the town when it went public. In magazines, billboards, tv, the Generation of Miracles appeared everywhere. As usual, no one saw Kuroko at first. But a slight tilt of the magazine, a change of perspective, a little nudge in the right direction and the opaque words 'Missing You' shone across the ad and Kuroko appeared alongside the shirtless model. And once again everyone asked, "Who is that girl?" In addition to taking the photos, Natashou Yuna had videotaped the entire photoshoot and had tastefully converted it into a commercial. Placing the ad on tv will reach a wider audience, Masamune had explained. The commercial itself was short, perhaps a little more than thirty seconds, but it proved oh so effective.

Soft music and man's voice, low and smooth, "You were always in my arms, my sight, my heart… Why are you so far away now?" and while he murmured these words, brief slow-motion images of the boys appeared, seemingly alone, on the bed. They looked despondent and forsaken, yearning for their missing love. Kise gazed down at the abandoned side of the bed, missing her presence. Midorima reached into the air as if remembering the feel of her touch. Aomine closed his eyes and made as if clutching her tight. Murasakibara looked at his hands, cursing them for being empty of her. And Akashi lay on the bed, an arm over his eyes to hide tears wrought from her departure.

Then shorter clips: a flash of sky blue hair, a split-second of slightly parted lips, and a glimpse of an exposed shoulder. The music picked up, lighter, sweeter, and the exact same clips of the GoM came back. But something was different. They didn't have faces of despair anymore. And they weren't alone. The girl with blue hair appeared beside them. Kise tenderly stroked her sleeping face. Midorima gently brushed away her hair. Aomine opened his eyes to find her back in his embrace. Murasakibara protectively enclosed her in his arms. And the smallest of smiles lit Akashi's face as the girl bent down as if to give him a kiss. And after the music dimmed, the words 'Missing You' ran across the screen with an elegant bottle beneath.

 _Basketball Monthly_ released their issue around the same time as the ad. Its main headline displayed "The Generation of Miracles After Teikou – special feature!" in a large font across the cover. The special feature took three double page spreads. The pictures of the MiraGen were the same as those from the photoshoot and underneath were short articles of their interviews. But unlike the full-body ads, the images were cropped so that they cut out Kuroko. The strangest thing was the last page which featured a picture of who was supposed to be the phantom player. He was shirtless like the others, but his face was cropped from the chin down so that only those who knew him could recognize that it was indeed Kuroko. The article beneath the picture talked about Teikou's phantom sixth player who was somehow forgotten the first time they had interviewed the Generation of Miracles. It also included some information about Seirin, and how they rose to fame after the Winter Cup.

In Seirin High School's gym, Aida Riko skimmed through _Basketball Monthly_ as well as other magazine's containing the MiraGen's ads. She was wearing a disturbed expression on her face when Hyuuga came up to the bench, "Is that the latest issue of Basketball Monthly?"

She nodded but didn't look up. The commercial and advertisements came out during the weekend. So unlike last time, everyone had seen the ads before they even came to school. No doubt the team would bombard Kuroko with questions again. Riko sighed, _There goes practice…_

"It's crazy right? Kuroko really looks like a girl." Hyuuga picked up one of the magazines turned to an ad with Murasakibara and Kuroko.

"I didn't know they did another interview…" Seirin's coach frowned.

Hyuuga shrugged, "Even though we won the Winter Cup, those guys still get all the attention."

"Oh what's this?" Kiyoshi stepped up behind Riko and looked over her shoulder.

"It's Kuroko again. You haven't seen the commercial?" Hyuuga pointed to the magazine ads.

"I haven't," Kiyoshi's face lit up in surprise, "Wooww, Kuroko looks – "

"Like a girl, right? But what I don't get is why he's in an ad for men's cologne. The rest of the guys I'd understand, but Kuroko's dressed as a girl in all of them."

Kiyoshi studied the pictures again. "No it makes sense doesn't it?"

Hyuuga looked at him quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"Examine it more carefully." Kiyoshi picked up one of the magazines; it was the ad with Murasakibara. "When you first saw this, what did you see?"

Hyuuga cocked another eyebrow, "Murasakibara sitting on a bed alone…?"

"Right, and when you saw Kuroko?"

"Murasakibara holding him?" Hyuuga still didn't understand.

"The feeling kind of changed right? It's probably trying to convey a feeling of nostalgia."

"How would that sell though?"

"Think about it, if you met someone who's scent reminded you of happy memories, wouldn't you be attracted? Or interested at least?"

"Huh… I suppose…"

"Guys! Guys!" Koganei rushed into the gym, the rest of the second years in tow. "Did you see the commercial?!" He was waving his phone around in their faces.

"Who hasn't? Stop waving your phone in my face!" Hyuuga whacked him lightly on the head.

"Oowww that hurt!" Koganei rubbed his head.

"I almost missed my train when I saw the advertisement on the wall," Izuki said.

"Ah, my mother called me over when she was watching the commercial," Tsuchida scratched his chin.

The second years were suddenly talking all at once about seeing the Kuroko in the ads.

"Oh, Kuroko!" Koganei greeted. Said player, walked into the gym with the other first years minus Kagami already asking questions. The second years also gathered around.

"HEY!" Riko yelled, "If you're all going to be distracted again, I'm going to triple your training!" That snapped everybody to attention. "Five laps warm-up!" She blew her whistle.

"Eh? Only five laps around the gym?" Furihata asked in disbelief. Everyone groaned.

Riko's eyes narrowed, "Five laps around the _school_!" She sounded her whistle again and the team took off. "Kuroko-kun! Stay here, I need to talk to you."

Kuroko looked towards his team who were running to the door, and reluctantly went back to the coach.

"You're not in trouble, Kuroko-kun. I just want to ask you something." Her voice turned softer in contrast to her commanding tone from earlier.

"Yes?" his expression and voice betrayed nothing.

"Do you plan to continue with this?" She pointed to the magazines.

"I don't know what you mean."

"Eh…" Riko frowned and tilted her head. "Kuroko-kun are you gonna keep modeling?"

Kagami Taiga suddenly walked into the gym, "Where's everyone?" he asked, scratching his head.

"Kagami! Why are you late to practice?!" Riko went back to demon coach mode.

"It's not my fault! My teacher asked to see me after class!" Kagami held up his hands as if to protect himself from coach's wrath.

"Really? Do you think you get away with a lie like that?" Her voice turned venomous.

Kagami _urked_ and began backing away.

"Coach, sensei really did ask Kagami-kun to stay behind," Kuroko offered.

"Eh?" She turned back to normal. "Oh that's right, Bakagami's terrible with his studies…" Then suddenly, "After all that extra tutoring we did, you better not fall behind again! If you're forced to quit the team because of bad marks, I swear I'll skin you alive."

Bakagami quickly tried to change the subject, "What were you guys talking about?"

Riko huffed. Kagami might as well know since it indirectly involved him. "You've seen Kuroko's ads right? It'd be weird if you haven't. I was just asking him if he plans to make a hobby out of it."

"Oh yeah," Kagami scratched his head, recalling the posters he'd seen on the way to school. "I thought it was only a one time thing, Kuroko."

"It was for the article," Kuroko said.

Riko kneaded her forehead, "No Kuroko, it doesn't seem like that. You're face isn't shown in any of the pictures for Basketball Monthly, but you're plastered all over the cologne ads."

"Wait why does that even matter?" Kagami was confused.

The coach turned to him, her voice serious, "What do you mean, 'why does that matter'? It's obvious. If Kuroko suddenly gets a lot of attention, he can't use misdirection. The prolonged exposure will have the same effect as him playing too long in a game and render his technique useless."

"Oh…" the realization dawned on Kagami.

"You see? It'll be bad if Kuroko were to keep doing something like this…"

"But… that doesn't make sense. Kuroko's face isn't shown in Basketball Monthly, and those ads show him as a girl. He looks too different for anyone to make the connection."

"What are you trying to say?"

Kagami scratched his head in thought, "Well, there's nothing to worry about right? Because no one will recognize him except people who already know him."

"Kagami has a point. Shall we test his theory out?" Kiyoshi had reentered the gym, sweaty from running but not so much fatigued.

"Done already? Did you cheat and skip laps?!" Riko was ready to inflict severe punishment.

"Relax, coach. We all ran five laps around the school," Hyuuga followed after Kiyoshi, the rest of the team behind him.

"Nigou! Did they really finish their warm up?" she turned towards the husky puppy. When he barked in affirmation, Riko couldn't help but feel proud. _They've gotten so much stronger._ She relaxed, "Fine. What were you saying, Teppei?"

"Well, if Kagami is right, then no one will notice Kuroko if he goes around like normal right? I think we should test it out."

"Hmm, that makes sense. And if he goes around dressed like a girl then people are bound to recognize him." Hyuuga pointed out.

"This calls for a Seirin High Basketball Team field trip!" Koganei raised his voice in excitement.

"Oi… Is this an excuse to get out of practice?" Riko glared daggers.

"After practice, after practice!" Koganei amended.

"That's not a bad idea," Izuki conceded. "I kinda want to see Kuroko dressed as a girl too…" No one said anything, but they all agreed silently.

"It's decided! After practice, we'll walk around with Kuroko and see if there's any change. Tomorrow, we'll do the same except Kuroko-kun will dress as a girl. No objections? Good. Kuroko-kun!" she faced the bluenette, "do you have any girl clothes?"

"Ah, they let me keep the dresses and wig after my photoshoot with Kise-kun."

"Cool, bring them tomorrow." Riko blew her whistle, "Now enough of this. Let's get back to practice!"

* * *

After some debating, the team decided the mall would be the perfect destination to perform their experiment.

"So we're just gonna walk around and see if anyone notices Kuroko?" Furihata asked.

"Wouldn't it be inefficient if all of us are walking together then?" Kawahara also inquired.

Hyuuga was surprised, "Wow it's rare for the first-years to speak up. But they have a point."

"Then why don't we split up and observe Kuroko from afar?" Fukuda suggested. He wanted to say something too.

"Hmm…" Riko scanned the mall map. "Izuki, use your eagle eye to search for the best area."

"Hah..." _That's not what the ability should be used for_ , he thought amusedly. Regardless, he glanced at the map swept his gaze across the mall, taking into account the shops that would have the highest concentration of people. He zeroed in on an optimal spot. "There," he pointed to a bench on the side of the mall's open aired center. Next to it was a huge poster of one of Leila's cologne ads. It was the one of Midorima lifting Kuroko's chin. The phantom player's eyes were closed, as if anticipating a kiss.

Kuroko walked to the bench while the rest of the team sat themselves around a café table close by. For some reason, they were all tense. Kuroko sat in plain sight, right next to a blown up picture of himself and…

Nothing. People walked by him minding their own business, not giving the blue-haired boy a single glance. Some noticed the poster and paused in admiration, but other than that, Kuroko wasn't noticed at all. After two hours, the café staff asked the team to leave since they hadn't ordered anything, and they went over to Kuroko.

"Stage one: success," Kiyoshi laughed. "Kuroko just has to come back tomorrow dressed as a girl and then we'll know the truth." The whole team became nervous and excited at the same time. Would it really work?

* * *

Kuroko fidgeted while Riko applied his makeup. Actually, he wasn't sure if he wanted to go to the mall like this. The day before had been deemed a "success," but he was somewhat disappointed by what had happened. As usual, no one had noticed him. He had expected as much, but deep down he had hoped… Kuroko shook his head. Today would verify the truth. If everyone was right, then it should be different this time around. "Kuroko-kun! Stop moving or I'm going to mess up your eyeliner!" Said boy tried his best to keep still. "Yosh! I'm done! What do you think, everyone?" Riko moved away so the team could see her handiwork. They looked up excitedly, but as soon as they saw Kuroko, their expressions turned down.

"Uhh… Coach," Kagami said tentatively, "could it be that you don't know how to put on makeup?" Kuroko held a mirror to his face and decided he definitely didn't want to go to the mall anymore.

"Eh? What do you mean?" She looked at Kuroko, "he looks good doesn't he?"

He didn't. He looked like a clown gone wrong. The eyeliner was thicker on one eye, the blush looked like two pink plates on his cheeks, and the lip-gloss was too red and bled off his lips. Most of the team turned away trying to hold onto their laughter.

"No way, is it that bad?" Riko cast her eyes down. The team didn't know what to say for fear of their coach crying or pummeling them for laughing at her. Then Riko felt someone pat her head. She looked up to see Mitobe. "Huh? You can fix it?" The stoic second year nodded and went over to Kuroko.

"Mitobe-senpai knows how to put on makeup?" Kuroko asked. He closed his eyes while Mitobe wiped his face with makeup remover.

"Oh yeah, Mitobe has a lot of sisters," Koganei explained. Mitobe moved away from Kuroko. "That was qui-" the rest of his words got caught in his throat.

"Wooww," Kiyoshi whistled.

 _That's much better,_ Hyuuga thought, but didn't say it aloud so as not to hurt Riko's feelings. Mitobe had wiped off the excess makeup to go for a more natural look. He properly blended the blush so Kuroko's cheeks held some color but not too much, and his lips were now a lighter shade of pink. The team stared speechless.

Riko too was taken aback by how much better Kuroko looked thanks to Mitobe's skills. She sighed and resigned herself to the fact that she couldn't do anything feminine. "Alright then. To the mall!"

The effect was instantaneous. As they walked through the mall to the same place as the day before, many eyes followed. Mitobe had styled Kuroko's shoulder length wig to one side, and Kuroko had coupled the off-white lacy sundress with his own cardigan because it was a little chilly. The team walked a few paces behind Kuroko to observe better. It was usually difficult to follow him because of his ridiculous lack of presence, but today they found it incredibly easy. Or rather, they couldn't take their eyes away. A couple of middle-school girls whispered to each other as he walked past, "Isn't that the girl from the commercial-" Some people did a double take. Guys were obviously checking him out.

"Hey, this proves we're right. Let's stop here." Kagami glared at the guys who had looked at Kuroko. They caught his glare and quickly averted their eyes.

"Not yet," Izuki waved his hand. "We have to make sure." They sat back down at the café table, this time ordering drinks so they wouldn't be kicked out. Kuroko went back to the bench beside the giant poster of him and Midorima. Since Izuki commented that it'd be weird for someone to sit by themselves doing nothing, Kuroko brought a book.

He held the book in front of his face and tried reading but found it difficult. He couldn't see anything around him, but he _felt_ eyes on him. Ever so slightly, Kuroko lowered the book so he could get a better view of his surroundings through his peripherals. To his left, some girls were whispering to each other and pointing in his direction. To his right, a group of guys also shifted their gazes from him to the poster beside him. _It's working,_ Kuroko thought amazed. He stared at the book, but was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't notice the group of guys approaching.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The dream/memory is canon, but I adjusted it a little (chapter 162, page 23 :)


	6. Chapter 6

Ever since Takao Kazunari watched the Leila commercial he couldn't stop teasing Midorima. He had saved the commercial on his phone and would shove it in Midorima's face every chance he could get, laughing all the while.

"Damnit, Takao! Will you stop that?" Midorima snapped after the phone once again obstructed his view.

"I can't help it. It's just so funny!" Takao replayed the video and chortled, "It's so awkward! I think I'm the only one who can tell how nervous you look. Even though it was only Kuroko, you've never been that close to a cute girl before, right? Well besides Momoi, but she's an exception." He kept chattering as they searched the mall for the next day's lucky item.

"Shut up! I've talked to girls before," he fumed.

"Who? Your mom?" Takao snickered. He knew that he was being meaner than usual, but it was the only way to hide his real thoughts. It's not like he'd never seen his teammate naked before… Even so, seeing a shirtless Midorima on screen was somehow different. _Sexy,_ was the word Takao used to describe him, though he'd never tell.

"Go die!"

"Hey, Shin-chan…" Takao tugged his teammate's sleeve. "Isn't that Kuroko-kun down there?" He pointed across the mall court.

"Don't mess with me, that's not-" he stopped short and squinted his eyes. It seemed like he was pointing to one of their posters when Midorima saw who Takao was really pointing to: a petite girl with sky blue hair on a bench demurely reading a book. Sitting right next to the giant Leila ad, anyone could see that it was same person.

"Wow, Kuroko-kun looks even better in drag in real life," Takao grinned. "What's he doing though?"

The shooting guard grimaced, "That idiot... Come on Takao, just leave him alone." But Takao made no motion to follow.

"Oh, guys are hitting on him…" Midorima looked over to see that Takao was right. An unimpressive looking bunch of high schoolers walked up to the girl on the bench and began talking to her.

Midorima vaguely recalled Oha-Asa telling Aquarius' to be extra cautious that day. "That idiot-!"

* * *

"Hey cutie, are you alone?" A tall teen grinned down on Kuroko.

"You should come karaoke with us," his friend said. He sat down next to Kuroko and wrapped his arms around the small shoulders. "We'll pay for the food and drinks."

Kuroko's face was unreadable, "No thank you, I'm waiting for someone." He brushed the hand away.

"What-? Anyone who lets a model like you wait obviously isn't worth it," another guy said.

"I'm not a model," Kuroko replied.

They looked skeptical. "This is you, isn't it?" the tall guy asked, pointing at Kuroko in the poster.

"Yes, but I'm not a model."

"Well whatever. We're meeting up with some friends for karaoke so you should definitely join us!" the guy who had sat down insisted. The other guys chorused in agreement and crowded around.

Without warning, a voice interrupted from behind, "Sorry to keep you waiting, Kuroko. Let's go." Dark green eyes glared down at the group of guys.

They were shocked for a second before bursting out in laughter. Midorima's lucky item of the day was a My Little Pony Princess Celestia doll. It was the limited edition version, so Midorima had to hold the longer than usual colorful hair in both hands.

"Who the fuck is this?" one of them managed to say between fits of laughter.

Takao popped up from behind Midorima. "You don't recognize him from that?" he gestured to the giant poster, "and the commercial too!"

They stopped laughing to scrutinize Midorima and look from the poster to him and back again. "-the hell… we can't compete with that," they mumbled and trudged off.

When they were well away, Takao chortled again. "Ohmygosh, Shin-chan. That was great! You were like a character from a shoujo manga saving the main character from getting harassed!"

"Shut up. What are you doing, Kuroko?" Midorima barely concealed the annoyance in his voice.

"An experiment," Kuroko replied.

Kagami suddenly came up, "Midorima! What the hell are you doing here?"

"That's what I should be asking! _"_   The two hotheads commenced insulting each other.

"Anyway," Takao turned to Kuroko, "you were saying?"

"It's an experiment," Kuroko explained. "We wanted to see if people would recognize me as the same person in the ads."

Takao frowned, "If that's true, then you shouldn't be by yourself…"

"I was about to fend off those guys before Midorima-kun came."

Hearing this, Kagami turned away from Midorima and scoffed, "Lies! You weren't doing anything!"

"I said I was about to."

"You can barely mark another player let alone fend off three guys," Kagami accused.

"No, there was a chance a giant whale would swallow them before I'd have to do that," Kuroko deadpanned.

"…" Kagami had no words for Kuroko's nonsensical logic.

"Honestly Kuroko, sometimes you can be so idiotic." Midorima adjusted his glasses.

Kuroko huffed, "I don't want to hear that from _you_ , Midorima-kun."

Before Midorima could answer with a retort, Takao pushed him to the side and asked, "But if Kagami was so worried, why didn't you come sooner?"

"I did! But you guys were here first…" he trailed off.

"Ugh. Whatever!" Midorima turned to Kuroko and dropped his voice a bit. "Well you got your answer right?" He reached out to brush away a lock of blue hair. "You shouldn't dress like this anymore, Kuroko. It attracts too much attention." He turned to leave. "Let's go, Takao."

* * *

"That was really close," Riko commented as she and the team watched Midorima and Takao leave.

"But coach, why did you only let Kagami go?" Koganei asked. When the group of guys approached Kuroko, the team was on high alert. Even so, Riko told them to stay put and watch. _Don't you want to see how he'll react to getting hit on?_ They'd go if things got messy. So only when one of them put his arm around Kuroko did Kagami stand up. However it was Midorima who reached him first and scared the guys away.

Her eyes glittered. "Obviously to see what would happen!"

"But isn't this an interesting turn of events?" Kiyoshi laughed. "Anyway, part two of this experiment is a success! We can say our hypothesis has officially been proven."

"We're back," Kagami announced. Pissed off at Kuroko, he had dragged him by the collar to the café table.

"…!" The team held expressions of alarm.

"Kagami-kun, you really have to learn how to treat girls more gently," Kuroko muttered, finally able to breathe.

"You're not a girl!"

Kuroko replied expressionless, "That's not what they think." He pointed to the mall goers who just witnessed what looked like a giant, scary looking teenager dragging a poor girl by her sweater.

Kagami sputtered and started swearing but refrained from hitting the boy-who-was-dressed-as-a-girl until he changed back.

* * *

"What are you going to do now?" Kagami asked Kuroko on their way home. He had calmed down after they played a 1-on-1 match. Kagami won of course.

"What do you mean?"

"About the modeling thing," Kagami rested his hands one the back of his head, "it seemed like you were trying to prove something."

They walked in silence for a moment. By now Kagami was used to this. Sometimes Kuroko needed time to formulate a response. "I… had a lot of fun," he began. "Modeling I mean. It's not the same kind of fun as playing basketball, but fun in a different way. Rather than being unnoticed, it was like I was the center of attention. I wasn't a "shadow" who had to depend on someone else's "light." It's kind of hard to explain this kind of feeling…" Kuroko paused and scratched his cheek. "I guess I can say that for once I didn't feel invisible."

"Hah, is that right?" Kagami grinned and ruffled Kuroko's hair. "Good for you then. Hey let's go to Maji Burger. I'm hungry."

Kuroko swatted his hand away, "Didn't you just eat?"

"Yeah, but I'm hungry again."

The blue-haired boy shrugged and followed him in the direction of Maji Burger. Besides, he still had a few days worth of vanilla shakes.

"So," Kagami said through a mouthful of hamburger, "you model as a girl and people only recognize you when you're in drag. But you can't model as a guy because then you can't play basketball anymore."

"Kagami-kun, don't talk with your mouth full." Kuroko leaned away from the bits of food while drinking his milkshake. "And it seems that way, yes."

Kagami swallowed his food, "That means if you want to keep modeling, you'd have to keep dressing as a girl." He reached out to chomp another burger.

He tilted his head in thought, "I suppose I wouldn't particularly mind..."

The red head almost choked. "Are you going to turn into an _okama_?! I didn't know you had that kind of hobby!"

"I'm surprised a returnee like you knows what an okama is." Kuroko replied, dodging the food bits that came out of Kagami's mouth. "What does it matter if I dress as a girl? I'm still the same person. Others have it worse… gender isn't something you can control. If someone associates themselves more with the opposite gender and feels better wearing their clothes, then what should it matter? A person should be what makes them happiest." Kuroko set down his milkshake. "That's what I think anyway."

"Kuroko-" Kagami was stunned. He didn't know the other could have such sophisticated views on so complicated a subject matter.

"Besides, I would be like a superhero."

The sophisticated mental image Kagami just conjured immediately shattered into a million pieces. "...Wut?"

Straight-faced as ever, Kuroko continued, "I'd have to be careful protecting my secret identity and letting no one know I'm a guy."

Kagami began trembling, "W- wha- WHAT KIND OF LOGIC IS THAT?!" he exploded. People in the restaurant turned to see who was making the commotion; the staff had looks of disapproval. "Why is that guy yelling by himself…?" someone whispered. Kagami took a deep breath and sighed. Kuroko finished his milkshake. "What am I going to do with you…" he muttered.

Later that night, Kuroko fell asleep with a resolve to make a phone call the next day.

* * *

"Sei-chan, your phone is ringing," Mibuchi informed Rakuzan's basketball captain.

Akashi reached into his locker to take out his cellphone. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"Eh? Is something wrong, Akashi?" Hayama tried to peer over the shorter teen's shoulder.

"Excuse me for a moment." Akashi turned and left the locker room. He leaned on the wall in the hallway and answered, "Hello, Masamune-san." On the other line, Masamune informed Akashi of something that had just occurred.

"I see… Tetsuya has agreed to model for you." It sounded like Masamune posed a question. "Yes, it will be as we agreed. I will inform the others." He hung up the phone and dialed another number. "Momoi, I need you to relay a message."

* * *

"HAH?" was Aomine's reaction to the news. "What kind of annoying dumbass shit is he making us do?!"

Momoi shrugged. No matter how much Aomine complained, she knew he wasn't going to defy Akashi's orders. Then she thought of something, "But Dai-chan, what would you do if you saw Tetsu-kun doing those kind of poses with another guy?"

"I don't care what he does…" But he imagined it. Kuroko dressed in another outfit that would no doubt showcase his porcelain skin, Kuroko looking at another guy with those eyes of his, other guys _looking_ at him, other guys _touching_ him… Aomine grimaced.

"I hit the mark, didn't I? I know you care. Besides," hearts appeared in her eyes and sparkles danced around her face, "Akashi-kun said I can be the manager! Don't you know what this means?! I'll be able to see Tetsu-kun more often and be in charge of his schedule and appointments-"

Aomine tuned her out. He'd be damned if he let anyone else see Kuroko like that.

* * *

Midorima whacked Takao with a Venetian mask. "Oww, what was that for?" Little tears welled in his grey eyes.

"Just seeing you made me annoyed all of a sudden." Midorima adjusted his glasses.

"You didn't have to hit me! Hey, don't leave without me." Takao followed Midorima to the gym. "This doesn't have anything to do with Momoi-san's call, does it?" He met silence. "It does? What did she say?"

"That annoying idiot making us do unnecessary things-" Midorima grumbled.

"Ehh… Shin-chan, explain clearly!"

Midorima sighed and stopped walking. He repeated Momoi's message.

Takao raised an eyebrow, "And you're angry about that?"

"It's unnecessary!"

The point guard recalled the previous day's events. "But it's better this way right? Because then you won't have to worry about Kuroko being harassed by other people."

"I only did that because his horoscope said-!"

"Yeah, yeah, don't get all tsundere about it." Takao started walking to the gym. "Come on, we'll be late."

"Just who are you calling tsundere?!"

Takao laughed, "Don't deny it. Anyway, I kind of wanna see it," he smiled, "Shin-chan as a model."

Midorima's face turned red.

* * *

Himuro didn't know what to make of it. Ever since the commercial came out, Murasakibara had been getting a lot of attention. A LOT. Between classes, after school, during practice, girls would flock like pigeons asking Murasakibara for pictures and autographs and the like. Frankly, it was getting extremely annoying. Himuro wouldn't have minded if the girls were directing their attentions towards him. But the fact that they were crowding around the purple haired giant and virtually ignoring him turned his mood sour.

"Muro-chin~ What's wrong?" Murasakibara asked after practice. They were in the locker room now, away from the screaming fangirls that watched their practices as of late.

Himuro smiled, "Nothing's wrong, Atsushi."

"Eehhh…" He took something out of his bag and placed it against Himuro's lips. The shooting guard compliantly opened his mouth and let Murasakibara feed him. "Muro-chin's lying to me~"

"I'm no- It's cold!" Himuro exclaimed, chewing and swallowing the treat. "What is that?"

"Lessee, 'Taro Mochi Ice Cream' says the box."

Himuro frowned. "Did you get that from a girl?"

"Yeaahh. I've been getting lots of snacks recently! I don't even have to go to the cafeteria to buy more~" he said grinning. The pretty boy turned away and started taking off his shirt to change out of his sweaty practice clothes. "Muro-chin~ are you mad at me? Don't be mad," Murasakibara whined.

"I'm not mad. Wherever are you getting that idea?" He flinched when Murasakibara's arms suddenly wrapped around him. "What are you doing-?"

"I won't let go until you tell me what's wrong," Murasakibara pouted.

Himuro tried to worm away, but Murasakibara clutched tighter. He sighed in defeat and mumbled something in response.

"Haahh…? I didn't hear you. Speak louder." Murasakibara lowered his violet head closer to Himuro's face.

"I said, 'I'm jealous of all the attention you've been getting.'"

Shocked, Murasakibara loosened his arms. "Whaat~ that's it? Muro-chin shouldn't be bothered by something like that."

"Well I am." He finished getting dressed.

"Hmm… I don't really get it," Murasakibara was finishing the rest of the Taro mochi ice cream when his phone rang. "Sa-chin? What's up?" He listened to her for a while before saying, "Waahh, what a pain in the ass…" Some more dialogue from the other line, "If Aka-chin says so…" Momoi said something else before hanging up. "I don't wanna do that…" Murasakibara complained, stuffing his face with a seaweed-flavored cracker. He liked the taste of eating something salty after eating something sweet.

"What did she say?"

Murasakibara shook his head and ate another chip, "Muro-chin, finish what you were saying earlier."

Himuro turned away, "Those girls flock around you because you looked really cool in the commercial."

The giant's face lit up. "Weehhh, Muro-chin thinks I'm cool?" _Maybe what Sa-chin said isn't so bad after all…_

* * *

"Masamune! Is it true?" Kise barged into the office.

"Hello to you too, Kise. Now what are you asking about?"

"About Kurokocchi, is it true?" he asked earnestly.

"Yes, Kise. Kuroko has agreed to become a model for Iris," Masamune conceded.

Kise stood by in shock. What was happening? "But why- how- Kurokocchi can't model!"

Masamune raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you the one who gave him my card? Also your photoshoot with him and those Leila ads say otherwise."

"I didn't think he'd accept! And that was an accident! I only asked him for help that one time, and this," he pointed to the magazines on Masamune's desk, "was supposed to be for Basketball Monthly!"

"Well there's not much you can do about it now. He and the others have already accepted. We just need to write up their contracts."

Kise blinked, "The others…?"

"The Generation of Miracles," Masamune clarified.

"WHAT?!"

"Hasn't Akashi-kun explained it to you?"

"No! Wait, what's Akashicchi have to do with this? What's even happening?!" The poor model was confusing his pretty blond head.

"I guess I'll tell you everything. The day you all had your photoshoot, Akashi-kun asked to speak to me. He said that there were conditions should Kuroko-kun agree to model for us." Masamune folded his hands over his chest, "One, his modeling cannot interfere with his basketball practices and games. Two, he can only model as a girl. Apparently that's a measure to protect him and his basketball. And three, he can only model with members of the Generation of Miracles. Akashi-kun has quite the persuasive personality so I couldn't really object, but it sounded like a good deal regardless. And I've already recieved a request from Pierre Marcel for their new Spring/Summer line."

"Akashicchi did…?" Kise stopped midsentence to hear his phone ringing. _Momoicchi…_ "Sorry Masamune, I'm going to take this call. I'll listen to the rest of your explanation later."

After Kise had gone, Natashou Yuna crashed into the office. "Tasuku! I'm so angry right now! How could you do this to me?!" she whined. She had rushed into Iris' main office upon hearing that the entire Generation of Miracles would appear in another ad campaign.

"Yuna-san, It's not my fault you're going to Korea for a promotional shoot," Masamune said calmly while lighting a cigarette.

Natashou shook her head in anguish. "If I knew they were _all_ going to model I would have turned it down!" She fell on one of Masamune's guest chairs and groaned, "I'm so mad at you. They're gonna be in Pierre Marcel's campaign~!"

"Hey, I was surprised too. I didn't know Kuroko-kun would accept our offer let alone the Generation of Miracles." He took a drag of his cigarette and mulled over a thought, "Whenever you see them together, do you get this feeling that-"

"They're like bodyguards trying to protect their little princess?" she finished for him.

He chuckled and nodded in agreement. "Anyway, you'll have plenty of opportunities to photograph them in the future. There's no need to be so distressed."

She slammed her hands on his desk causing him to jump, "Tasuku, this is _Pierre Marcel_. You know, the high-end men's clothing brand that's almost half a century old?! To think they'd hire _children_ is unthinkable! And amateurs at that!" She ran a hand through her hair and whined, "I wanna be part of it too~!"

Masamune lowered his cigarette, "I'm sure there will be other times, Yuna-san."

Natashou sighed, "Oh Tasuku, Tasuku." She made her way around the desk and pinched his cheeks. "Do you know what's better than photographing attractive shirtless men?"

"What?" he shook his head away.

She grinned, "Photographing attractive men _in suits._ "


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're going to pretend Pierre Marcel is on the same level as Hugo Boss in this au okay? kay.

"Eh? You have a photoshoot today, Nagao?" a groggy voice asked from the bed.

"Yeah," Nagao answered from the bathroom.

"You don't sound too happy about it."

"The models are some amateur high school brats. Of course I'm not happy about it," Nagao said while brushing his teeth.

"Who are they?" the person in bed asked curiously.

"Hell if I know. Some kids called the 'Generation of Miracles' or some lame ass name like that." He rinsed his mouth.

The person in bed sat up, "Seriously? The Generation of Miracles? The famous basketball team of middle school geniuses, _that_ Generation of Miracles?"

"So they're amateur brats with big egos. My day keeps getting better and better." Nagao grabbed his coat and leaned over to kiss the young man on the bed. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck," he replied. "Don't forget to call." Nagao gave a small salute and left the apartment.

* * *

"Woowww~" Momoi cooed, "Everyone looks so handsome!"

This was the second Saturday the Generation of Miracles convened for a photoshoot. Location: the Lannister Hotel in Tokyo, set in a large elaborate drawing room, ornately designed, and elegantly furnished. Their client: Pierre Marcel, a luxury fashion and style house based in France. The boys currently wore almost identical single-breasted black suits. There were minute variances in the fabric, lapels, and designs, but they were otherwise alike. And while it would usually look boring to have five models in the similar outfits, the basketball players' distinctive features (specifically their hair) made it nothing of the sort. Even the staff who were used to seeing handsome models, were awestruck by the stunning teenagers. It was quite difficult _not_ to be captivated. The suits were perfectly fitted to create striking silhouettes of their toned bodies.

Murasakibara whimpered, "Waahh… they took away my snacks." The stylists had tied the long violet hair back into a tight ponytail, accentuating Murasakibara's strong features.

"It'll be bad if you stain or get oil on the expensive suit," Kise explained. One side of Kise's hair was lightly slicked back while the other hung loosely over his golden eyes.

Aomine fingered the top of his fully buttoned collar. "Arrgghh, I can't breathe in this!" Since there wasn't much to do with Aomine's short hair, the stylists went for the edgy kind of messy look.

"Stop playing with it, or you'll mess it up." Midorima adjusted his glasses. The stylists had asked if he could take it off, but he vehemently refused. He compromised by allowing them free reign over his hair. They tousled the green locks to allow the natural waves to manifest and swept the bangs over to one side to have a better look at his eyes.

Akashi stood with his arms crossed, calm as usual. His hair was also styled back. "The Godfather Look," the stylists had named it. Standing there with his cool expression, no one would doubt it if he had admitted to being in a mafia.

 _Waahh…_ Momoi marveled, _they really look good!_ But she swept her eyes over the room to look for someone else: a boy with blue hair and matching blue eyes…

"I see you're all ready," a voice brought everyone to attention. "I'm Nagao Jesse, your photographer for this shoot." The man himself could have been mistaken for a model except for the camera in his hand. He looked to be about Aomine's height, with short black hair, high cheekbones, and pale brown eyes that suggested foreign blood. He spoke politely, but his tone was coarse. It sounded almost… hostile? They all gave a polite bow. He looked around, "There's supposed to be six models. Where's the girl?" He had seen and heard about the female model who could disappear in photos without any type of image editing.

"Sorry, that would be me," a quiet voice spoke up a few paces in front of him.

All parties present jumped in shock. It had been awhile since Kuroko surprised them like that.

"Where did you come from, Tetsu-kun?" Momoi asked in surprise.

"Ehh…" Kuroko scratched his cheek, "I was here the whole time."

"What? Then hair and make-up…" Momoi tried asking.

"It seems they forgot about me."

"Wait a minute," Nagao held up his hand, "Please tell me what's going on."

The Generation of Miracles froze. Kuroko was supposed to be a girl; did they blow their cover so soon? Momoi sputtered, "Eh- well you see, this is-" she looked between Kuroko and Nagao trying to remember their cover story.

"The sixth model, Kuroko Terumi," Akashi finished for Momoi.

* * *

"A stage name?" Kuroko asked. He had arrived at Iris' main office to sign the contract for his modeling.

"Yes, you'll need one since you can't use your real name," Masamune answered.

"Eh? Both family and given name?" Kise inquired. The rest of the MiraGen minus Akashi had come to sign their contracts as well. Kise, already a model for Iris, just wanting to tag along. Akashi had signed the contract a few days prior.

Masamune rubbed his chin. "That might be a bit complicated since it'll be hard for all of you to call him by another name…"

"Why don't you change the kanji in Kuro-chin's name?" Murasakibara drawled.

"There's not many characters you can substitute 'Kuro' with," Midorima said over his miniature cuckoo clock.

"Ehh… what are you saying Mido-chin. Can't you write it like this?" Murasakibara leaned over the table to scribble a character on a notepad.

Midorima looked over before objecting, "You can't read that as 'Kuro'!"

Murasakibara pouted with a chip in his mouth. "Yes you can!"

"That's okay, an interesting name will attract even more attention." Masamune acknowledged. Murasakibara smirked in triumph. Midorima pretended not to care.

"Then what about 'Tetsuya'?" Kise played with the name on his tongue. He liked saying it.

"If you shorten it to the first character, then can't you read 'Tetsu' as 'Tohru'?" Aomine asked. Everyone looked at Aomine in shock. "… What?" he scowled under their stares.

"I didn't know you could read kanji," Midorima stated matter-of-factly. Back at Teikou, the dark skinned ace hardly ever paid attention in class. It was only thanks to Momoi's notes that he barely passed his tests, and the shooting guard doubted that Aomine would change his habits upon entering highschool.

"I'm surprised too," Kise sniggered.

Aomine threw his hands in the air. "I'm not stupid!"

"Wait~ what kanji are you talking about? Kuro-chin writes his name in hiragana."

"Oh yeah…" they all remembered.

"Oh!" Momoi realized, "Because 'Tetsuya' can mean 'to keep vigil overnight.' Is that what you meant, Dai-chain?"

Aomine sulked, "Obviously."

"'Tohru' is a guy's name," Midorima pointed out.

"It can be a girl's name!" Kise thought of a manga his sisters read as a kid. The main character was a girl named Tohru.

"Oh~ the second character of 'Tetsuya' can be read as 'Yoru.'" Murasakibara stuffed another chip in his mouth.

"That's still a guy's name," Aomine objected.

"Wah, I don't like either of those names! It has to be cute. I want a cute name!" Momoi protested.

"Uhm…" Kuroko hadn't had a chance to express his opinions at all. His voice brought everyone to attention.

"Do you have an idea, Kurokocchi?" Kise asked.

"How about 'Terumi'? Written with the kanji for 'illumination' and 'beauty.'" He traced the kanji in the air with a slender finger.

"Ehh… that's perfect!" Momoi squealed. "It's cute and pretty at the same time! And it can be shortened to 'Teru-chan.' Oh how cute!"

"Oi, Tetsu, where'd you get that name?"

"My late grandmother's name was Mitsuya Terumi. My parents named me by mixing some of the syllables together," he explained.

"Kuro-chin's grandmother…?"

"Yes, we used to visit her in the countryside before she passed away. She was always very kind." The evening light played upon Kuroko's nostalgic smile. _The name fits…_ everyone thought.

"Alright, Kuroko Terumi it is then." Masamune finalized.

* * *

"You're kidding me." The person looking up at Nagao with unblinking eyes was _clearly_ a guy. Sure he had flawless pale skin, a slim build, short stature, wide eyes, full lips, and a slender neck, but he was still quite obviously male. Was this really the same person in the Leila ads? _How interesting…_

"We're sorry Nagao-sensei!" some make-up artists apologized from behind him. "We were busy with the other models and didn't see Teru-chan. Please let us get her ready." They bowed while apologizing.

The photographer's lips pursed into a straight line. "Get it done then." They dragged the now-visible Kuroko away. Nagao ran a hand through his hair, "Alright, while we're waiting for _her_ , let's take a few solo shots of you guys." He pointed the side of the room that had a large gray backdrop. Nagao looked at the lineup of boys before settling on the tallest one. "Murasakibara-kun, right? Can I have you go first?"

Said boy sighed and walked to the set. And he stood there, in the center, just standing. Nagao raised his camera, "Are you ready?"

Murasakibara shrugged, "I guess so." He shoved both hands into his pockets and looked down at the camera. At such a staggering height, Murasakibara looked more like a pole wearing a suit than a model.

Nagao took some shots before asking, "Can you keep your thumbs out of your pockets and give me another pose?"

The giant slowly blinked his violet eyes. "Eh? What should I do?"

The photographer frowned. "Turn your body sideways. Look to me. Tilt your chin down. Lean back. Take the arm closer to me and let it hang down, put the other hand in your pocket." Murasakibara did as he was told in the step-by-step fashion Nagao had instructed. But he looked stiff and uncomfortable. "No, like this." Nagao stood in front of Murasakibara to demonstrate and looked much more relaxed and natural. Murasakibara did likewise and managed it to some extent however lacking the seeming effortlessness of Nagao's demonstration.

Nagao took a few more pictures before asking, "Okay, can I have Midorima-kun now?"

Midorima at least, attempted a pose instead of just standing there. He angled slightly to the side and held his hands as if adjusting the cufflinks. Nagao asked Aomine to come up after he took a few shots of Midorima.

Aomine wasn't much better than Midorima. He tucked a hand in his pocket and turned a little sideways but not much else. Once again, Nagao snapped a few pictures before calling the next model.

Akashi stood straight, unbuttoning his suit jacket so he could place his hands in his pockets with more ease. It was a powerful position that could have been used on the cover of some business magazine, and Akashi's intimidating aura served him well. But it was still lacking. A couple shutter clicks went off before Nagao asked for Kise.

Kise instantly outshone his former teammates. His experience was evident in the way he continually changed poses, angled himself one way or another, and put on varying faces of indifferent coolness to suggestive half-smiles. Nagao took multiple shots until he was satisfied.

"Besides Kise-kun, do any of you have modeling experience?" Nagao asked.

"Waah… we had a photoshoot with Kuro-chin not too long ago," Murasakibara drawled.

Midorima corrected him, "Idiot, it was for Basketball Monthly."

"Basically, no," the photographer affirmed.

Aomine shrugged and replied lazily, "We just did this because we were asked to."

Nagao furrowed his eyebrows, _Damned brats. They're not taking this seriously at all!_

"Nagao-sensei! Teru-chan's all done!" the makeup artists announced.

A hush fell over the room as a petite figure entered the room. Sky blue hair cascaded over one shoulder to frame a small pale face. Dark eye makeup brought out the piercing color of azure eyes, and a gown of pale beige hung over a slim figure, the skirt trailing lightly across the floor.

Nagao whistled and gave the girl a once-over, _Now that's what I'm talking about._

Momoi practically couldn't contain herself with the cuteness overload. But she forced herself to stay calm and only admire her beloved Tetsu-kun from afar. _Professional, Satsuki. I'm their manager. I have to be professional!_ She peeked over to see the boys' reactions. Murasakibara stood with his mouth hung open like a fish. Midorima, tsun as he was, pretended to adjust his glasses to hide the blush on his face. Aomine gaped and his eyes flew wide. Kise covered his mouth, blood rushing to his pretty face. Akashi kept a collected expression, but Momoi noticed that he had clenched his fists.

"Well, then, Kuroko-chan right?" Nagao smiled and walked over to him. _I didn't realize that boy was so cute._ He offered his hand to the blue-haired model. Kuroko took it expecting a handshake, but was immediately pulled into an embrace. _That_ snapped everyone out of their reveries. Nagao grazed a light kiss over Kuroko's knuckles. "You look quite lovely, miss _._ " Suddenly, someone jerked Kuroko away and Nagao felt a forceful hand against his chest.

" _Don't touch Kuro-chin_ ," Murasakibara towered over Nagao, holding a large hand over his chest. Midorima stood by his side, a baseball bat in his hands.

"What the-" Nagao shoved Murasakibara's hand away and looked at what had happened to Kuroko. Kise had moved to stand between them. Aomine had pulled Kuroko away by wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Akashi had stayed behind, seemingly unfazed by what had happened.

Momoi spoke, extremely flustered, "Ah, I'm so sorry, Nagao-san! That was just really sudden," she turned to the boys, "Hey, say you're sorry! That was so rude." They relaxed slightly and mumbled incoherent things that might have been an apology.

Nagao raised an eyebrow. _Interesting indeed. I can probably use this to my advantage…_ He raised his hands as if in surrender, "No need to apologize. It appears I did something offensive," he smirked, "But it seems I need to find new models to work with Kuroko-chan."

Five pairs of rainbow eyes glared in his direction. Momoi panicked, "Ehh-? They really didn't mean anything by it! I'll make them write a proper apology-"

The photographer shook his head, "No, no, it's not because of that. I want to replace them because they're not taking this photoshoot seriously."

Momoi blinked. "What do you mean?"

Nagao touched his chin. "Unlike Natashou Yuna, I'm not the type of photographer to tell my models how to pose for every single picture. Fashion is an art and models are its canvas. If the models can't make the clothes look good then they undermine all the work put into making them."

"But… they requested to have-"

"I don't know shit about this 'Generation of Miracles.' All I see are a bunch of high school kids who think modeling is just standing in front of a camera and looking pretty. I don't know what you kids did to get this job, but let me say that I'm not happy with it at all. Do you even know what Pierre Marcel is? This brand isn't one that simply hands out its ad campaigns on a silver platter. Other people would kill to have this job, and you immature brats are half-assing everything." He turned his hazel eyes on the people in question, "If you're not serious about this, I _will_ get other models."

"Just us? You're not going to replace Kuroko as well?" Midorima challenged.

Nagao smirked. "No, Kuroko-chan seems serious enough. And replacing _her_ would be a waste of her remarkable talent."

"Tets- Teru, is under contract. You can't have her without us."

The photographer waved a finger, "The contract simply says that Kuroko Terumi cannot model without one of you present. Well, you're all here right? If I just bring in different models, I won't breach the contract."

"Akashicchi, say something about this." Kise turned to his former captain.

Akashi had remained unperturbed during the entire conversation. "Do as he says," he said calmly, though the weight of his words were absolute. His former teammates grudgingly submitted.

"So if you're done playing around, can I have one of you come up for a couple shot?" Nagao turned and walked towards the side of the room with a large French window.

Kise moved to follow, "Okay, why don't I go and-"

Aomine stopped him and walked ahead, "No way. I'm not gonna be insulted by some arrogant asshole. C'mon, Tetsu." His arm was still tossed around the boy's small shoulders, and he led him to the set.

When Nagao saw Aomine and Kuroko position themselves beside the window curtain, Nagao asked, "Ready?"

"Just go."

Aomine trapped Kuroko against the window. One arm against the glass and the other on Kuroko's waist, he turned midnight blue eyes on the camera. The sun shone through the window and cast its light on Aomine while Kuroko was hidden in the shadow of the curtain.

"You got better," Kuroko noted.

"Tch. I just have to copy Kise right? After all those times he shoved his pictures in our faces, it'd be hard not to notice." This made Kuroko smile. Aomine had to thank God again for dark skin.

After a few shots, Kuroko shifted his position so he could place one hand on the taller boy's shoulder, the other on the back of his neck, looking up as if confiding a secret. He must have said something interesting because then Aomine gave a devilish smirk. _Click. Click. Click_.

"But seriously, Tetsu when did your eyes get so big?" Aomine stared down at the round fragments of sky.

"They've always been like this," he responded calmly, pulling Aomine's face closer. Aomine turned bold. He lightly tugged Kuroko's wig to make him tilt his head back, and then he bent down to bite the smooth neck, eliciting the most delicious gasp. _Click. Click. Click_.

* * *

"Hey wait a minute, isn't that too much?" Kise was panicking when he asked his former teammates-turned models.

"Dai-chan…" Momoi wasn't listening.

"If it's Kuro-chin, I'd want to eat him up too~" Murasakibara said nonchalantly. Kise wondered if he realized the implications of that sentence.

"Don't you do that all the time in your own photoshoots?" Midorima twirled the bat around his wrist.

Kise opened his mouth to say something, but changed his mind. He couldn't deny what Midorima had said. But those girls were experienced models! They knew what they were doing. And this, Kise flicked his gaze to Aomine and Kuroko, was completely different!

* * *

"Well then," Nagao finally spoke. Aomine and Kuroko released their holds on each other; Aomine's blush hidden under his tan face, and Kuroko expressionless. "I'm impressed. That was _much_ better." He turned around. "How about Murasakibara-kun next?"

"Ehh…" the giant looked over.

"Whaa~ I wanted to go next," Kise pouted.

"Don't mess up, bro." Aomine tapped Murasakibara's arm as he lumbered over.

"I don't need Mine-chin to tell me that," Murasakibara sulked. He too was unhappy at being called an immature brat and didn't plan on 'messing up.'

Nagao realized the giant was too tall to stand next to Kuroko. "Wait, can you move over there? I'll need you two to sit down since I can't get you both in one shot." Assistants moved the lighting equipment to the chaise in the center of the room facing the fireplace.

Murasakibara immediately lay on the lounge and crossed his incredibly long legs. Kuroko sat on the its one arm.

"Whenever you're ready," Nagao called, lifting his camera.

Kuroko placed a hand on Murasakibara's shoulder and leaned over, tilting his neck so that the long hair cascaded over one side to look like a gentle waterfall. Murasakibara reached up with one of his large hands to lightly touch the pale face. _Click. Click. Click_. "Kuro-chin, your lips look like candy~" the giant singsonged.

"Please don't try to eat them," was the soft-spoken yet firm reply.

A small squeak, a rustle of fabric, and Kuroko abruptly landed in the giant's lap. Kuroko looked up at Murasakibara with knitted eyebrows. "If you wanted me to move, you could have just asked, Murasakibara-kun. I would have done it myself."

"Weehh… but I like lifting Kuro-chin. You're so light and small~" The blue-haired boy frowned. When he heard the shutter clicking, Kuroko shifted into a better pose. He placed both hands on Murasakibara's chest and rested his head on his shoulder. Murasakibara held Kuroko by the waist and cast a languid gaze towards the camera. _Click. Click. Click_.

Nagao lowered his camera, "Can you change positions so Kuroko-chan is laying on the couch and Murasakibara-kun is sitting on the floor?"

Once in position, Kuroko held his hand beside his face, and let his hair hang over the lounge's edge. Murasakibara sat close to him on the plush rug, keeping an elbow on the chaise, and his other hand in a loose fist at his side. In the dim lighting of the drawing room, he looked like a beast protecting the _belle_. _Click. Click. Click_.

"Kuro-chin~" Murasakibara sat up to drape his arm over Kuroko's sideways figure. Even while sitting on the floor, Murasakibara was tall enough to look down on Kuroko's face. "Do I look cool?"

"Hmm?" Kuroko's eyes barely indicated surprise.

"Muro-chin said I look cool while modeling. Is it true?"

Kuroko gave a small giggle, "Yes, Murasakibara-kun. You look very cool. Especially with your hair like that."

Murasakibara grinned too. "I like Kuro-chin when he smiles." _Click. Click. Click_.


	8. Chapter 8

Underneath an elaborate archway of a luxurious hotel, an attractive couple shared an intimate moment seemingly hidden from the prying eyes of the world. The man, a handsome youth with dazzling viridescent hair, held his lover, an alluring beauty with the sky in her eyes. Their faces were close, hers beside his ear whispering sweet nothings, and her hands crossed lithely over his neck. It was a charming moment caught in the lens of a certain photographer's camera.

 _Man these kids learn fast._ When Nagao had given his 'threat,' he hadn't expected it to be so effective. _Just how far are they willing to go for this guy?_ The person in question was the sky-eyed beauty who was, in fact, male. As he continued snapping photos of the lovely 'couple,' his mind wandered back to the previous models. Aomine had gone from lazy to active in a matter of seconds, even to the point of nipping the beautiful boy's neck. Not that Nagao minded. Such chemistry between models made pictures turn out even better. Murasakibara too, had gone from incompetent to expert level. His oafishness during the solo picture practically dissipated in his photoshoot with Kuroko. He had even used his long limbs to their greatest advantage and made for rather elegant compositions.

Beneath the art nouveau styled arch, Kuroko slid his hands down from Midorima's neck to unbutton his suit jacket and lightly ran his small hands over the clothed abdomen. "Kuroko-" Midorima hissed, grabbing thin wrists before they did anything else, "What are you doing?"

Inscrutable azure eyes looked up at him. "Modeling of course." They heard the insistent shutter clicks of the camera. Midorima made a _tsk_ sound and reluctantly let go of Kuroko's hands. Then he had an idea. In an oddly graceful motion, Midorima turned Kuroko so he could hold him from behind. _Click. Click. Click_. Kuroko craned his neck to look at the shooting guard. "What are you doing?"

Oha Asa said today was good day for Cancers to be adventurous. Today, they should try stepping out of their comfort zones to do something audacious and bring some excitement into their lives. Midorima wrapped his arm around the slim waist and used the other to lift Kuroko's hand to his viridian hair. "Modeling of course."

Nagao silently kept taking shots. _These kids learn damn fast._

* * *

"I want to go already-!" Kise whined.

Aomine's tone was smug, "You're just jealous that we're outdoing you."

Murasakibara was happily chewing his gummy candy. The staff had allowed it since it wouldn't get any crumbs or stains on his suit. "Kise-chin's jealous~"

"I am not! I can do better than any of you," Kise pouted. "And why was I yelled at too? I was taking it seriously earlier!"

"At least you guys didn't get in trouble! Can you imagine… your first job and you're already causing problems!" Momoi was still miffed at the boys' previous outburst.

Midorima came back. "Kise, it's your turn."

"Finally!" Kise adjusted his suit jacket and bounded over to the set. "Kurokocchi~!" the blond model sang as he hugged the shorter boy. "Let's do super well okay?"

"Yes, please get off now," Kuroko's words were annoyed, but his face was kind.

"Can I have you two over there?" Nagao pointed to the couch beside the fireplace.

Kuroko sat down first, his beige gown a nice contrast against the couch's deep crimson fabric. Kise perched himself so that he was sitting with his shoulder to the camera, and adjusted their positions to wrap his arms around Kuroko from behind. With the back of Kuroko's neck now exposed to him, Kise leaned down to brush his lips along its nape. _Click. Click. Click_. Kuroko slightly trembled under the delicate touch and turned his head to Kise's direction. "Kise-kun, that tickles."

Kise grinned, "Sorry, Kurokocchi." But he did it again anyway so that the blue-haired boy would hunch his shoulders. Kise only needed to slide a finger across the scapula just so, and the sheer straps of the gown slid off.

"Ah-"

The blonde model hung onto the other's forearms and breathed into his ear, "Leave it." Kuroko somehow managed to kept still as Nagao took more pictures.

Kuroko felt the heat on his back fade as Kise leaned back on the couch. He beckoned the smaller boy to do the same. Kuroko lifted his legs to cross over Kise's and twined slender arms around his neck. Eyes of molten gold stared at the camera with a languorous gaze.

"Kurokocchi~" Kise hummed while readjusting himself. He unclasped the pale arms around his neck and pulled them down. Kuroko ended up on top of Kise, one arm on each side of his face. Shiny blue hair once again cascading down to hide two faces in its curtain. Kise gazed up at a cloudless sky and brushed the hair away so that the camera could see them. _Click. Click. Click_. "You're really beautiful, you know?"

Kuroko's expression was inscrutable, "Thank you. Although that's not something you should say to a guy."

Kise chuckled, skimming a thumb across Kuroko's bottom lip. "Beauty is beauty no matter the gender."

* * *

Pleased with the shots, Nagao thanked Kise and called Akashi to come up from across the room. "Akashi-kun," Nagao addressed as the red head approached. "We're going to take your pictures next to the pool table." His assistants had already set up the lighting fixtures in the center of the elaborate drawing room.

Kuroko looked exquisite sitting at the edge of the billiards table. He greeted, "Hello, Akashi-kun."

Akashi nodded, "Nice to see you too, Tetsuya." He stepped in front of Kuroko and placed both hands on the table's wooden edge, trapping the little lady. Nagao started taking pictures. "You didn't answer my question from last time." He leaned a little closer.

"Which one, Akashi-kun?" Kuroko's hands lay primly in his lap.

"Are you having fun modeling?" His voice was velvet sliding across skin, smooth and luxurious.

Azure eyes lowered their gaze, and a softer voice replied, "Yes. It's a lot of fun with everyone."

The corners of Akashi's lips turned up. "I see." He lifted one of Kuroko's hands to plant a gentle kiss. _Click. Click. Click_. "Tetsuya," he said the name like a caress.

Kuroko lifted his gaze, "Yes?" Was that a mischievous glint in those heterochromatic eyes?

"Don't resist."

"Wha-" Akashi placed a hand on the small of Kuroko's back and shifted his position so that the other lost balance. Kuroko's eyes squeezed shut as the ceiling moved above him. When he realized he hadn't hit the floor, he slowly opened his eyes. Akashi's red and gold gaze looked down on him. He had lain the blue-haired boy down against the table and had pinned both arms over his head. _Click. Click. Click_.

"This is inappropriate, Akashi-kun." Kuroko frowned, trying and failing to twist his wrists out of Akashi's hold.

His former captain's smile was teasing. He smoothly hitched up Kuroko's leg and let the dress slide down pale thighs and onto slim hips. _Click. Click. Click_. Planting another small kiss on an exposed clavicle, Akashi mused, "In this profession, there is a fine line between what is considered inappropriate and doing one's job."

* * *

On the other side of the set, five people watched the scene on the pool table with wide eyes. It just looked so risqué, an assumed gentleman doing such things to an innocent lady.

"Akashi-kun… is really… daring…" Momoi ventured.

Aomine grumbled. "Oi, oi, is that even allowed?"

"Look who's talking," said Kise dryly.

"You were like that too!"

Midorima swayed the baseball bat between his fingers. "Well it _is_ Akashi."

"Aka-chin is fearless. Fearless leader~" Murasakibara chewed another gummy candy.

* * *

"Please let go," asked a calm voice. Slowly, maybe reluctantly, Akashi relaxed his hold and leaned away. In that moment, Kuroko propped himself up on one elbow and pulled Akashi's tie to bring their faces back together. "Like this?"

Devilry played in Akashi's smile. "My, my, aren't we feisty today?" Unfazed, the point guard trailed his hand down an exposed thigh until it was just beneath the clustered fabric. Low and sultry, he murmured, "Tell me, Tetsuya. Do you like it when I touch you like this?"

Akashi couldn't remember the last time he had seen the phantom player flustered. In fact, he didn't think he had _ever_ seen Kuroko so much as blush. But in that moment, the lightest color of pink stained his face and the blue haired boy released the tie. The red head couldn't suppress a smile. "Akashi-kun," Kuroko tried to keep his voice level. "That was definitely inappropriate."

"Is that so?" Akashi slowly withdrew his hand. "Well it _is_ a very fine line." He grazed his lips on the inside of Kuroko's knee before straightening up.

Nagao decided that was a good place to stop. "Thank you, Akashi-kun. We're going to have group shots now." The photographer called all of the models outside the drawing room and into the hallway.

"We're going to do a motion shot next. You're all going to start from the end of this gallery," he motioned down the hotel's ornate hallway, "and walk towards me. Stagger yourselves and keep Kuroko-chan in the front. Mind your expressions."

"Tch. This'll be a piece of cake," Aomine mumbled as they walked to the end of the hallway. While their backs were turned, Nagao snapped some pictures. His photographer's eye was drawn to the aesthetic of their retreating silhouettes.

"Well you're confident." Kise ran his hands through his hair.

"We just have to walk down a fucking hallway," he retorted.

Midorima adjusted his suit jacket. "Try not to trip."

"I want my candy back."

Once they looked ready, Nagao called from across the hallway. "Alright, start walking."

There was a brief pause of hesitation. What, just go? Akashi stepped forward first and the others soon followed. Somehow they ended up stepping in line with each other and continued at a brisk pace forward through the end of the hall.

The photographer lowered his camera and handed it to the closest assistant. "Okay, we need to do that again. Watch closely," he instructed from a few meters in front of them, and he walked. Naturally and perhaps with a slight swagger in his shoulders, he exuded charisma. "I don't need you to do anything fancy, you're not a female runway model. Just keep a leisurely pace and _walk._ Kuroko-chan, I need you need to keep one foot in front of the other, okay?"

Aomine cocked an eyebrow, "Isn't that what we just did?"

Nagao took his camera back from his assistant. "You guys were too stiff, too conscious, like you're nervous that people are watching you. The atmosphere has to be casual." Nagao touched his chin. "Alright this time, talk to each other while you're walking. Pretend you've just ended school or finished practice or something. Unbutton your jackets, loosen your ties, do anything to feel more comfortable. Now if we can try that again-" The boys adjusted their suits as they went back down the hallway.

"Finally! Sweet freedom." Aomine removed his tie and swung his suit jacket over his shoulder.

"You lose the whole point of wearing a suit if you do that." Midorima looked refined opting to stay buttoned up.

"Ehh… but it's more comfortable like this." Kise loosened his tie and rolled up the suit sleeves.

Murasakibara unbuttoned his own suit. "Ties are bothersome," he said while slipping it off.

Akashi smoothly removed his jacket and swung it across his shoulders.

 _One foot in front of the other,_ Kuroko repeated to himself.

"Whenever you're ready!" the photographer said from across the hall.

This time, Kuroko started walking first, taking care to pretend he was walking in a straight line. The others matched his pace. Akashi stayed a step behind, followed by Kise, Aomine, Midorima, and Murasakibara lagging in the back. Unlike before, they were staggered which allowed some depth of field and somewhat decreased their height differences.

"Shall we have a meeting right when we get back?" Akashi asked, a hint of jest laced in his voice.

Aomine groaned, "Don't even joke about that, Akashi. That kind of tone brings back too many memories." He ran his free hand through his already messy hair.

"Every match you mean," Midorima scoffed. "We'd have a meeting to discuss every single play after our games." He slipped a hand in his pocket.

"Ehh… I remember that-" Kise's hands hung loosely at his sides. "I was always being picked on. It's not my fault Aominecchi wouldn't pass the ball!"

Murasakibara stuck both hands in his pockets. "Because it would have been a bother if we lost~"

Kuroko chuckled. It was soft and small, and the sound shouldn't have carried so far back, but it did anyway.

"What's so funny, Kurokocchi?"

Kuroko didn't glance back. "It's just nice to hear everyone getting along again." No one said anything. They just watched the shadow's slight figure walk before them.

 _They learn too damn fast,_ Nagao thought as he continued to take shots of the approaching models. His idea had worked, and they were a lot less stiff. He appreciated then, how all of them were athletes. Their strides were long and confident, their postures straight, and the outlines of their bodies incredibly sexy. _They're naturals,_ he thought begrudgingly. _Any of them would be a success if they ever decided to do this professionally._

Following Nagao's instruction, Kuroko walked with one foot in front of the other, involuntarily causing his small hips to sway with each step. It was a decidedly subtle sway, nothing like the pronounced strut of runway models. Yet Nagao watched five pairs of eyes linger on those hips. _A lamb among wolves,_ he thought. Nagao eyed Kuroko, the quiet, unassuming beauty who could disappear at will. Even through his lens he couldn't quite tell if the blue haired child was really there until he really concentrated. He kept taking shots until the group reached his side of the hall.

"That was great. I have to hand it to you boys. I had a lot of doubts in the beginning, but you guys pulled through in the end. Good work," Nagao praised. "Let's wrap this up. Go ahead to the dressing rooms and change."

When the boys headed back, Momoi went up to him. "Thank you for today, Nagao-san." She gave a polite bow. "I know they were troublesome earlier, but thank you for giving them a chance. It's not easy to get them serious over anything besides basketball."

Nagao smiled, "I actually didn't do much."

Momoi tilted her head to the side, "But you made them model so well…"

"They're all good-looking kids so they'd naturally know their best angles. It's just a matter of getting them to drop their embarrassment and take good pictures, which I did by insulting their pride. Actually Momoi-chan, can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Hmm? Aren't we talking right now?"

"Why don't we go to the café and talk while sitting?" Nagao pointed to the direction of the hotel lobby. "My assistants will finish cleaning up here." Momoi had an uncertain expression but followed.

* * *

"So what did you want to talk about?" Momoi asked after they bought drinks with the company card.

Nagao had ordered a Thai iced tea for Momoi and a cup of coffee for himself. "I want to know what's the deal with all of them. I've never seen so many boys smitten over another guy. No, don't look so surprised, I can tell Kuroko- _kun_ is a boy, and I don't really care for the reason. I just wonder why they're so protective of him."

Momoi was caught by surprise and for a moment couldn't say anything. She looked down at her Thai tea and gently stirred it with the straw.

"I mean, yes they did well today. Absurdly well, in fact, but even determined newbies are shy about interacting one on one with another model. These kids had no reservation at all when it came to Kuroko-kun and I'm extremely curious. So," Nagao took a sip of his coffee before proceeding, "be honest. Are they all in love with him?"

Momoi watched the tea and milk swirl together in the glass cup. "Hmm, I wonder..."

"You don't know either?" Nagao brought the coffee back to his lips.

"Well…" her eyes followed the ice swimming round the drink, "I suppose you can say that they all _love_ him. Though perhaps not in the romantic sense you're thinking." Momoi brought the straw to her lips. _For some of them anyway_ , she amended in her mind. "In this case, they're all extremely indebted to Tetsu-kun. And it's not a debt that can be easily repaid. He gave them back something they lost a long time ago, and for that kind of thing… Tetsu-kun's become a very precious, important person to each of them."

"I see…" Nagao took a slow drink of his coffee. "That's kind of incredible."

Momoi grinned, "Isn't it? Tetsu-kun's really amazing."

"But," The coffee cup clinked on the table. "I think you have to tell them to be a little more careful."

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"If they keep acting that way around him, you might get some unwanted attention." At Momoi's blank expression, Nagao continued, "The more wanted someone is, the more desirable they become. Imagine a single girl protected by a harem of incredibly handsome boys. To others, that person then becomes an object of desire as well as a target of jealousy."

Momoi frowned, "Would that really happen…?"

Nagao took another sip of his coffee. "It will. Especially since _she_ will only be in photoshoots with those boys."

"Eh… then what should I do-?" Momoi's pretty face contorted in worry.

The photographer downed the rest of his coffee stood up to pat the peach colored head. "That's up to you. I'm just giving a fair warning."

After Nagao left, Momoi sat there for a while, sipping her drink and letting her mind wander. "Satsuki!" She was snapped out of her reverie by a familiar voice. "There you are. Nagao-san said you'd be here."

Momoi looked up, "Ah, sorry, sorry. I forgot the time."

"Hah…" Aomine gave her an exasperated look. "Seriously you- Anyway we're going to the park and play ball. Let's go."

Rose-colored eyes blinked. "We?"

"Yeah, everyone. Come on, I've been itching to play after doing all this modeling nonsense." Tears suddenly blurred Momoi's vision. "Oi! Why are you crying?" Aomine was taken aback. What had he said this time?

She rubbed her eyes and gave a beaming smile. "Why didn't you say so earlier? Let's go!" Momoi grabbed Aomine's arm and dragged him towards the exit. She'd worry about Nagao's warning later.

* * *

The Pierre Marcel ad campaign was a hit – of course. This brand more prestigious than the last, the little modeling group rose in popularity, having other brands and fashion houses asking for this handsome group of teenagers to model in their own campaigns and editorials. As expected, the most sought after model was Kuroko Terumi. Many companies were turned down when they requested to have solely her, but the requests kept coming anyway. And even more jobs were turned down because they were either overseas, which the GoM obviously couldn't attend because of school, or interfered with their basketball schedules.

" _TASUKU!"_ Natashou Yuna screeched over the phone.

"Yuna-san, your voice. Please." Masamune had to hold the cell away from his ear.

Less screechy, _"Ohmygawd I just saw the ad in_ ETAS _and they look absolutely fabulous! Pierre Marcel's decision to have a separate campaign for Asia was spot on. I wish I had been there… Anyway, tell me their next client! And can I do it? Pleeasseeee."_

"Unfortunately, you're still in Korea during their next shoot. And besides, you hate Cerny." There was an audible gasp from the other line.

" _That pompous prissy pretentious self-important company Cerny requested the Generation of Miracles?! Hold on, they just had a photoshoot with Pierre Marcel. Why are you lowering their standards?"_

Masamune sighed, "Our models are still high schoolers. I can't just ship them off to New York or Milan." The other line was silent. He knew she was waiting for him to continue. "And if they agree to do this photoshoot, they're going to be invited to Cerny's annual masquerade."

Natashou squealed, _"That's_ much _better! Ohmygawd, tuxedos and ballroom dancing and floor length ball gowns! You_ must _let me do the pre-party pictures."_

"Yes, yes, if you make it in time."

" _Wait, before you hang up,"_ her voice dropped a few notes from its usual pitch, _"Tasuku, you will watch out for them, right? As much as I, or any of the fans, like to imagine and fantasize about celebrity pairings with those kids, you know the repercussions should anything actually happen."_

Masamune lit a cigarette. "I know, Yuna-san."

" _They're still kids, not even legal. I don't want to mar their golden years with gossip and scandal. You_ will _keep them in check."_

"I'm fairly certain Kuroko-kun's bodyguards won't let anything happen."

" _Tasuku, I'm serious."_

Masamune watched thin smoke coil in the air. "I promise I'll watch out for them."

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize that if this was irl modeling, Kuroko's dress would change per picture but meeeehhhhhhhh


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aha this chapter is kinda the reason this fic is m-rated

"She's so cute~! I think I'm in love."

"Who, the girl from that jewelry ad?"

He nodded, "Just look at her! She's fucking adorable. Ten times cuter than Mai-chan!" Two high schoolers sat at their desks looking through a magazine. The lovestruck boy had his face plastered to the paper.

"You're crazy. Mai-chan is way cuter, _and_ she has huge tits. This girl is totally flat."

"Who cares about that? Look at her face! Can you imagine her in an AV? Picture those eyes filled with tears, and those cute pink lips wrapped around your d-" The guy's head slammed into the desk. There'd be a large bruise there no doubt.

" _What did you just say?"_ Murasakibara loomed over the two boys, his violet hair covering an undoubtedly dark expression. They sputtered a kind of indignant response before scrambling away.

"Atsushi," Himuro spoke quietly, picking up the magazine that had been left behind.

" _What."_

"You didn't have to hurt him." Himuro watched his friend kick the desks that the two boys sat in. They crashed with a loud _clang._ This wasn't the first time they'd heard inappropriate talk over the ads. "They're normal guys, the same as any other across the country. You can't stop all of them." Murasakibara didn't say anything. Himuro sighed and figured he couldn't reason with him for the moment. He sat down and flipped through the magazine to look at already familiar pictures. "It's only because Kuroko-kun looks really good in these, you know?"

Cerny Jewelers, that was the client from their last photoshoot. As the name suggested, the campaign had focused on jewelry, and if the Pierre Marcel ads had been teasingly provocative, then the Cerny ads were downright seductive. The photos were monochrome, save for the models' eyes, and the boys were shirtless – again. There were four main pictures for this ad campaign. Himuro leafed through a magazine that contained the picture with Aomine, Kuroko, and Akashi.

Kuroko had a thin chain of diamonds around his neck and a simple black dress that made his alabaster skin paler. His dark lashes lowered over sultry blue eyes. Aomine's head rested on one shoulder, his arms around the slim waist, and the chain of diamonds clenched between his teeth. Akashi stood behind Kuroko, one hand turning his face towards him, and his lips pressed against the thin circlet of diamonds crowning the blue-haired boy's forehead.

In the second picture, Murasakibara brought the back of Kuroko's hand to his cheek, allowing the shimmering bracelets to slide further down a white forearm. He trained his violet gaze to the other's slightly parted lips. Kuroko's head lay on the crook of Murasakibara's neck with threadlike raindrops falling from his ears. Kuroko cupped Kise's cheek with his other hand and brought the blonde's lips just to the cuff of his bedazzled ear.

The last picture had Midorima's exposed back towards the camera. The dramatic lighting threw the finely carved muscles into relief, especially accentuating the shoulder blades and spine. Behind him, Kuroko's piercing blue eyes peeked up from a toned shoulder, his hands underneath the other's arms and resting on the broad back. Delicately crafted rings glittered on his slender white fingers.

The last picture was a group shot. Kuroko sat prettily in a chair, ankles crossed and hands resting daintily on the armrests. The others were staggered around him on the set. Murasakibara sat below, his long legs once again stretched out on the floor. Kise sat opposite on a platform slightly above Murasakibara's, his legs bent casually. Midorima stood behind Kise and slightly behind Kuroko, his back angled to the camera. Aomine leaned against the chair opposite Midorima. Akashi stood on a platform behind Kuroko that allowed him to place a hand against the back of the chair. Each of them held a string of diamonds that were attached to a thick black choker on Kuroko's slender neck. Their fists were clenched, the strings of diamonds almost taut, and their expressions forbidding.

"Who knew that Kuroko-kun could actually make such a sultry expression? I can almost understand those guys' feeli-" Himuro had a cheese bread shoved in his mouth.

"Shut up, Muro-chin. I'll get mad even if it's you." Murasakibara's violet eyes were narrowed and his voice was a shade deeper than normal. Himuro frowned and said nothing more.

* * *

"Hey, Kuroko," Seirin's ace called the shadow's attention.

"Yes, Kagami-kun?" Kuroko looked up from his lunch.

"Aren't you embarrassed about these?" The red head held up the magazine in his hands.

"No," he responded with his impassive face.

"Seriously? You take pictures like this with those guys and you're not the slightest bit embarrassed?!" Kagami shoved the Pierre Marcel picture of Kuroko and Akashi in his face. "How are you not self-conscious?!"

"It's part of the job," Kuroko said while picking something from his bento.

"Part of your job?" Kagami repeated incredulously. Kuroko nodded. "Kuroko, do you really think these guys are doing this as part of the job?"

"Yes."

Kagami was speechless. He knew Kuroko enjoyed the whole modeling-to-get-attention and that's why he kept at it, but he didn't know why the rest of the Generation of Miracles decided to model as well. Furthermore, Kuroko hadn't appeared in any other photoshoot without them. It was too weird. "You don't think there's some ulterior motive behind it?"

"What ulterior motive could they have?"

The red head frowned. That was a good question. What would be their motive? Maybe they were having fun too. But he couldn't imagine Aomine, Midorima, or Murasakibara patient enough to stand in front of a camera all the time. Akashi was a maybe because he had that haughty kind of personality. Kise was obviously out of the question. Kagami decided to investigate this matter later. "As long as you're having fun I guess."

Kuroko grinned that small grin of his. "It's a lot of fun."

* * *

Momoi met Aomine in front of the school gate. "Dai-chan, do you have my notebooks?"

The tanned boy furrowed his eyebrows and vaguely recalled leaving them in the basketball locker room. "Uhh…"

"Did you lose them?! I need those to study for my test tomorrow!"

"Relax, woman. I didn't lose them." Aomine covered his ears to tone down Momoi's scolding.

"Then get them back! Unlike you, I actually care about my grades." She whacked Aomine with her schoolbag.

Aomine groaned, "Yeah, yeah, just give me a few minutes." He lazily headed back to the locker rooms only to find the door locked. _Huh, they should be open…_ Aomine remembered that there was a way to go in through the coach's office. _Who would lock the door?_ He thought as he walked through the alternate entrance. Right as he stepped into the locker room, he heard hushed voices and stopped. Instinctively, he hid in the doorway.

He heard the sound of something crashing on metal. "W-wait, n-not here," a familiar voice stuttered.

"Relax, no one's coming," another familiar voice said, the metal locker clanging again. The words stopped and were replaced by wet sucking noises coupled with ragged breaths.

 _What the hell are they doing?!_ Aomine had not moved from the doorway. No, he wasn't born yesterday. He knew _exactly_ what they were doing. And his immediate response was to make a run for it. But then he remembered Momoi's notebooks. She'd be furious if he didn't retrieve them. Was her wrath worse than the risk of grabbing the notebooks and getting caught?

Yes.

Aomine made up his mind. He would just grab the notebooks as quickly as possible and then bolt. He could already see them laying on the bench across from him. The sounds seemed to come from the far end of the room so as long as he stayed quiet and crawled under the lockers, they wouldn't notice him.

" _Aah-"_ Aomine froze. _"Nn- ah- Aah-"_

"Sakurai, you're so _tight!"_

"I-I'm so s-sorry! _Nn-!"_

In the empty locker room, even whispers echoed off the walls. "If you keep saying you're sorry and crying like that, I'm not going to stop."

"B-but, W-wakamatsu sempa- _ah!_ "

Aomine _really_ wanted to run away now, but he forced himself to be silent and keep crawling. When he finally grabbed hold of the stupid notebooks, he crawled back to the office to make his escape. The moans and wet noises became louder. Aomine practically held his breath until he was inside the office and promptly bolted out the door.

"Did you hear something?"

"W-wakamatsu sempai- D-don't just st-stop like that-" The new team captain was more than happy to comply.

* * *

"Eh? Are you okay, Dai-chan? Your face is all red." Over the years, Momoi had learned how to distinguish Aomine's flushed face under the dark complexion.

"I'm fine!" His words came out a little more forceful than expected. He shoved the notebooks in Momoi's hands and stalked off. "I got your stupid notebooks!" Momoi raised an eyebrow. What happened? She trailed behind her childhood friend and waited to see if he would explain himself.

But Aomine walked in silence, a grimace on his mouth, and red staining his cheeks. He actually wasn't surprised those two were together. Sakurai had been giving Wakamatsu those kinds of looks for a while now. He couldn't believe they'd actually do it at school though, and in the locker rooms no less! He'd never go in that part of the room ever again. No, what bothered Aomine wasn't that they were together, or what they were doing. What bothered Aomine was the sound of Sakurai's moans and cries echoing throughout the locker room. Because during that time, the voice he heard wasn't Sakurai's, but Kuroko's.

* * *

Akashi scrutinized the black and white stones dotting the Go board. His grandfather had instructed that he could not leave the room until he solved the recreated match. Unhurriedly, Akashi grasped a white stone between his middle and forefinger and set it at a point on the board. It was followed by a black stone, white, black, and then white again, each stone hitting the wooden board with a soft clack.

The young master hardly paid attention to the game at hand. This was child's play. His mind was wandering elsewhere. Kuroko Tetsuya, that guy actually had the audacity to endanger his basketball. After all the work Akashi had put into helping him develop that specialized style, he was willing to throw it all away. _Attention is overrated,_ Akashi thought. He could live with less.

Yet he allowed it, under specific conditions of course. It was absurd really. Modeling was such a non-profitable pastime. For Akashi, who defined everything in terms of 'victory' and 'defeat,' an abstract occupation such as this held no value to him. So why did he allow it? Why drag everyone into it?

Akashi ran his fingers through the bowl of black stones, allowing the sound to soothe his thoughts. He placed another stone on the board. He had known the answer before asking Kuroko the question. Under those expressionless eyes, he'd seen content. Akashi couldn't take that happiness from the shadow. Not a second time. With a pronounced clack, Akashi set down the last stone of the game.

* * *

"I think you're really cool. Please go out with me, Midorima-kun!"

She was the third girl this week, and the twelfth girl this month. Recently, Midorima had received many letters and love confessions. It was a strange experience for him as he'd never been confessed to before. Which would be a surprise considering Midorima had the face, physique, height, and intelligence, but girls were always put off by his cold attitude, weird way of talking, and unnatural obsession with Oha-Asa.

"I'm sorry," Midorima's voice was calm, "I'm not looking for a relationship right now." How many times had he said this already? The first time it happened, he was so dumbstruck that he couldn't say anything. The girl ended up crying because he had just stared at her with what she claimed to be a disgusted look.

"Oh… I see." The girl glaced down to hide her flushed face. Damn, he didn't want to deal with another crying girl. "Then Midorima-kun, could you answer a question?"

"Sure…" Midorima answered slowly. _As long as she doesn't cry,_ he thought.

"Are you going out with that girl you model with? I'll only accept your rejection if it's because of her."

Midorima took a step back, "No! You've got it wrong! We don't have that kind of relationship!"

"Who then? You've rejected every confession so far, and we've never seen you going out with anyone. The only possible reason is that you're going out with that girl!"

"I'm telling you that you've got it all wrong!" The girl had stepped closer and closer and was merely inches away from the shooting guard.

Midorima felt his back press against the side of the building and realized with dread that he was trapped. He panicked and held out the object in his hands. The girl immediately shrieked and ran away.

" _Pffft!"_ Takao laughed from the second story.

"Takao! Why do you watch every single time?!" Midorima yelled up at him.

"Because it's so funny! Who knew your lucky item would be so useful for something like this!" Midorima's lucky item of the day was a DVD copy of 'The Ring.' It worked in scaring off the girl at least.

"Anyway, it's because you're a model now that all the girls are after you," Takao told him back in the classroom. "The one when you wore a suit probably started it, and then your latest one got all of them fired up." It didn't help that there was a large Pierre Marcel poster at the school's closest train station, and that it was the one with Midorima and Kuroko. Takao had never seen such a gentle expression on the shooting guard's face. And then there was the Cerny Jewelers ad. He didn't want to say that he was jealous. He would never say it.

Midorima ignored him and scribbled notes from their previous lesson. Takao lowered his eyebrows. "Ne Shin-chan, you're actually really happy aren't you?" When the green haired teen didn't respond, Takao pulled off his glasses.

"Oi! What are you doing!" Takao laughed at his friend's reaction.

"Just as I thought. You're blushing!" He laughed again, "You're definitely happy getting confessed to!"

"Shut up!" Midorima snatched back his glasses and went back to scribbling notes.

Takao saw the tips of his ears were still red. _How cute.._. "But I noticed Kuroko-kun's name comes up a lot too, I heard some senpais even asked you to introduce them?"

Midorima ignored him again. Instead opting to write with greater fury, a scowl plastered on his face. He couldn't deny that the latest photoshoot had gotten him a lot more attention from the female population. But that wasn't his biggest problem. His problem was the memories from the photoshoot. Kuroko had been pressed so close to his bare skin, his lips almost touching his shoulder. Midorima had managed a straight face, but his mind had been in turmoil. He closed his eyes and felt the cold pinpricks of metal and small hands against his back. He recalled the sweet scent of sky blue hair, and the warmth of the slight figure wrapped in his arms. He had the smallest notion to have that feeling again.

* * *

"Moouuu…" Kise slumped on the gym bleachers.

"Oi, Kise! What are you doing lazing around, go back to practice!" Kise peered up to see Kasamatsu scolding him. The third-years had officially retired and were now focused on graduating, but they still visited practice occasionally.

"Kasamatsu-senpai," Kise whined, "I'm unhappy right now so let me rest for a bit."

The third year resisted his urge to kick the blonde idiot off the bleacher. "What nonsense are you saying? Do you want me to beat you up again?"

"Senpai, have you ever been jealous? Ah, never mind that's impossible since you've never had a girlfriend."

"Why you-!"

"Maybe this is the feeling a father has when his precious daughter is about to get married?" Kise covered his face with his towel.

Kasamatsu frowned. "Is this about Kuroko-kun?"

The blond ace's voice was a little muffled by the towel, "At first I thought it would be fun modeling with him. And it was really fun until… I just don't like people seeing him like that. I hate that other people know how beautiful he can be. I want to keep Kurokocchi in a jar and never let him out. Every time I hear a random guy on the street talking about him, I want to punch them in the face and tell them to never look at him again."

Kaijou's former captain looked at Kise in alarm. "I never took you for the possessive type."

Kise lowered the towel and looked down at the floor. "Neither did I."

"Well," Kasamatsu sat down on the bench beside Kise, "Isn't this your fault in the first place? If you hadn't asked him for a favor then he wouldn't be modeling right now."

Tearful golden eyes looked up at him. "Kasamatsu-senpai… that's so mean-!"

"Just tell him to stop. He already did the favor so he doesn't have to keep modeling right?"

Kise sighed and shook his head. "You know what he told me in our last photoshoot? He pulled me aside and thanked me. He _thanked me_. If I hadn't asked him for help then he wouldn't be having so much fun with everyone. And then he _smiled._ You've met him so you know how rare it is for him to change his expression. Do you know what he looks like when he smiles? Do you know how it feels to have him smile for you? I wanted to die." Kaijou's ace shook his golden head into his towel.

Kasamatsu could only raise an eyebrow at his kohai. "Kise, do you like Kuroko-kun?"

"Of course I do," came the muffled response. "Kurokocchi's probably the bestest friend I've ever had."

The point guard blinked. "No, not like a friend – like a lover." Honestly, with how often Kise talked about his amazing 'Kurokocchi,' you'd think he knew.

Kise looked at him with a baffled expression. "What are you talking about? We're friends."

Kasamatsu was amused, "You know, for being observant towards other people's feelings, you're pretty dense about your own."

Kise furrowed his eyebrows. "I don't get it."

The former captain stood up and ruffled the golden head. "You'll figure it out soon enough," he said before walking away.

* * *

"So apart from the fitting day for the boys' masquerade costumes, can you also find some room in their schedule for a two to three day music video shoot?" Masamune and Momoi were discussing the Generation of Miracles' itinerary for the month.

"A music video?" Momoi paused her note writing.

"Yes, for Zelo's newest single. You've heard it I presume?"

"Oh! The one that won the Japan Record Award for Best New Artist?"

Masamune nodded, "That's the one. The producers saw the Cerny group picture and heard they were all geniuses in basketball. Apparently they wrote the script with them in mind." He handed over a file labeled with the words 'CONFIDENTIAL' stamped in bright red.

There was a short silence while Momoi skimmed through the script. Her eyes lit up in surprise. "This is…"

"Interesting right? Do you think they'll be able to do it?" Masamune rested his chin over his clasped hands.

Momoi made a face, "Mmm… It's a really good story, but I don't know how well they can act…"

"But it's such a great opportunity. It would be a shame to turn it down."

"That's true. The basketball parts are no problem, but we might have some trouble with these romantic scenes."

Masamune grinned. "On the contrary, I think they'll be surprisingly easy."

Momoi tilted her head, "How so?"

"Well _acting_ like they're in love won't be difficult if they really are right?"

Rose-colored eyes blinked. "You think they're all in love with Tetsu-kun too."

"I'm wrong?"

Momoi frowned. This was almost the same conversation she had with Nagao. Is that really how it seemed? She wasn't sure anymore. The MiraGen proved dauntless in the Cerny photoshoot. The editor even had trouble picking out the photos to be used for the ads because he wanted ones that were 'relatively tame.'

"They shouldn't be…" she finally said. _Not all of them…_

Masamune shrugged, "Anyway, it'll be interesting. The biggest problem will probably be the band members. I heard they're quite the womanizers so you'd best be careful."

"You mean Tetsu-kun."

"I mean both of you."

Momoi made another face and looked back down at the script. It was a rather cute story – until the last page. The Generation of Miracles would play a group of childhood friends who grew up playing basketball. Eventually, the five boys fall in love with the only girl in the group. It's a playful, friendly type of love rivalry, and they almost act more like jealous older brothers than anything else. That is until some things happen, and the boys realize that they like her more than they thought. It causes a dispute, and the friends drift apart. Distraught that she caused her precious friends to turn against each other, the girl goes to the basketball court where they used to play and cries herself to sleep. The boys run all over town looking until they find her at the basketball court. The girl wakes up and a tearful scene of reconciliation ensues. They promise never to be parted again, and the girl happily allows herself to be guided into a foreboding house. The last scene has one of the boys close the door with a questionable smile on his face.

Momoi shivered. Maybe she could convince the producer to change the last scene.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry Sakurai! But you're just sooo cute and you're just asking for it. Why Wakamatsu and not Imayoshi? Because.  
> and Muahahahaha! I managed to fit in Lakers and Clippers colors xD


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So apparently, Zelo is a real Kpop star in the band BAP. I swear I had no idea and it was total coincidence. But now that you're aware, you should check him out! He's quite pretty *-*
> 
> Hohum, so this music video arc might be kinda long…
> 
> EXT. – exterior, meaning shot outside
> 
> INT. – interior, shot inside

"Nagao-san!" Momoi called when she saw the photographer on set. The students had a three-day weekend thanks to a national holiday on that Monday. Momoi used this rare extended break to schedule the boy's music video shoot. The downside was that they had to sacrifice all three days of their weekend so they could film all the scenes in such a short timespan.

Said photographer looked up from his clipboard. "Ah, Momoi-chan. Nice to see you again," he greeted. Masamune had pulled some strings to get Nagao as the director of the photoshoot. He mentioned something about Nagao being able to make the boys act properly or other.

"I wanted to ask about the script-"

Nagao held up his hand to stop her, "Already taken care of. I talked to the producers and gave them my input. I convinced them to make Zelo's part in the actual shooting a lot smaller so they won't interfere, and I edited the script to better fit the song as well as incorporate Kuroko-chan's talent." He pulled a thin booklet from his clipboard and handed it to Momoi.

There was a brief silence as she quickly skimmed its contents. Her eyes widened, "Nagao-san…"

He tilted his head and grinned expectantly. "Yes?"

"This is… really… sad," she managed haltingly, "and dark." While the general story was the same, there were a few major differences thematic wise.

"Momoi-chan, have you ever actually listened to the song's lyrics?" he said while crossing his arms. "Not really right? Most only hear the upbeat music and ignore the words, but the lyrics are actually quite enigmatic."

Momoi bit her lip and skimmed the script's contents again. She couldn't deny it, the script probably fit the music a lot better than before. "You're right I suppose. What do you mean by making Zelo's part smaller? Masamune said they were…" Momoi searched her head for a euphemism, "troublesome."

Nagao chuckled, "If the entire band were here, they'd definitely hit on you and Kuroko-chan and cause trouble. They're a talented bunch, but too arrogant for their own good. Their part will be shot in a studio and then edited in later."

"Okay," Momoi flipped through the booklet again, "What about these kind of romantic scenes? You know none of them have acting experience…"

Nagao had a mischievous smile on his handsome face, "Don't worry about that. I have a pretty good idea of how to make them act well. For today I'm only going to give them parts of the script, so please don't let them see that," he pointed to the booklet in her hands, "and spoil it, okay?"

* * *

_Scene 1_

_EXT. BASKETBALL COURT – MORNING_

_A group of six kindergarten kids are playing basketball, Akashi, Murasakibara, Aomine, Midorima, Kise, and Kuroko respectively. They are laughing and having fun. When they're done playing, they lay down on the grass under the shade of a cherry tree._

_CHILD KUROKO_

_We'll be together forever, won't we?_

_The boys nod, and the children fall asleep on the grass as the screen fades to white._

* * *

The child actors had just finished their shooting and were now running around the set. One of them didn't look where they were going and bumped into a pretty girl with sky blue hair wearing a high school uniform. Kuroko had finished shooting a scene and had stepped outside for some fresh air. Surprised, Kuroko looked down to find a preschool aged boy with dark green hair staring up at him.

"Oh," Kuroko bent down to meet him eye-level, "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. Are you okay?"

His eyes filled with tears, and he began crying, "I hate them, onee-san! They're all making fun of me because they think my wig is an ugly color!" He tried wiping his eyes with his little fists.

Kuroko was a little surprised at being called "onee-san" until he remembered what he was wearing. He looked up to find five other little kids with different colored wigs watching from behind a tree. The corners of Kuroko's lips turned up. "I don't think it's an ugly color at all," he said to the boy. "Do you want to meet someone really cool with that hair color?"

The boy stopped hiccupping, "Really?" he asked with watery eyes. Kuroko nodded and took the boy's hand.

"The onii-sans here are really cool you know?" Kuroko said a little loudly as they walked to the gym. He peaked over his shoulder and was pleased to find the other kids following.

* * *

_Scene 2 – ten years later_

_INT. SCHOOL GYM_

_The same boys are in high school now and playing a basketball game. They struggle during the first half and trail behind the other team by only a few points. The camera pans to the Kuroko in the sidelines cheering for her friends. The camera shows the boys stealing glances at her. They quickly step up their game and win with an overwhelming score._

* * *

Their shooting location for the weekend was Shingen High School. According to Masamune, it was a large and well-funded high school that had all the facilities needed for the multiple sets the music video needed. Scene 2 was being filmed in the school's main gym. Their opponents for the shoot were some first year college players hired from a nearby campus. Interestingly enough, they had never heard about the Generation of Miracles.

Basketball extra 1 muttered as the two 'teams' moved to position, the MiraGen on offense, "Are they shitting us? I can't believe we have to 'pretend' to lose to these high school kids."

"That should be our line," was Midorima's calm reply.

Basketball extra 1 shot him a glare. "What did you say-"

"I know this isn't a real game, but we're looking for some really intense action shots. The score is shot independently of your game so don't worry about that and show us some really good plays." Nagao called from his megaphone. Multiple cameras were set up around the court to increase the number of shots and minimize the number of takes. "Everyone ready? Action!"

"We'll show you some good plays," basketball extra 2 grinned.

Murasakibara gave him a sideways glance. "He's not talking to you, idiot~"

The Generation of Miracles fell into their old positions. Akashi, being the point guard, had the ball first. "Why don't we make this like old times? Everyone must reach a twenty point quota."

Midorima raised an eyebrow. "Are you serious, Akashi? He just said they won't be keeping score."

"Aka-chin~ these people don't look worth the effort," Murasakibara pouted.

"Even so, you're required to make twenty points." He passed the ball to Kise.

"I'm down," the small forward grinned.

Basketball extra 3 guarded Kise immediately, "You brats. Do you really think you're that good?"

Kise smiled but didn't answer, "So basically, Akashicchi," he eyed his former captain, "we're not playing seriously and just showing off right?" He performed two successive fakes and drove past the extra, easily making a layup.

Basketball extra 3 was frozen in place. "So fast…"

"You call that showing off, Kise?" Aomine taunted while trotting back to defense.

"If you think you can do better Aominecchi, then prove it," Kise rebuked.

Aomine scoffed, "Easy." Basketball extra 4 was PG and had the ball. Aomine marked him and instantly slapped the ball out of his hands. He charged down the court and made a slam dunk. " _That's_ showing off," he smirked while hanging off the rim.

"Please," Midorima adjusted his glasses. He had kept his bandages on, deeming it unnecessary to remove them for this pretend match. "Dunking the ball makes you look like that idiot Kagami."

Aomine's eye twitched, "Don't compare me to that dumbass!" He hopped down with a thud.

"Ah, but Mine-chin really is similar to Kagami~" Murasakibara agreed.

"Which part of me is like that idiot?!"

And so their mock game continued in a similar fashion, with the members of the MiraGen simply 'showing off' while the basketball extras grimaced for being shown up by a bunch of supposed high school brats.

Kuroko walked in the stands at this time, a train of children following him like ducklings. The camera crew had already finished shooting the part with Kuroko on the sidelines and was now focused on shooting multiple takes of the boys playing basketball. There were many extras in the gym who were supposedly cheering for the fake "game." Although the way they cheered hardly seemed like acting.

Most of the audience members were unaware of the name "Generation of Miracles," and had volunteered because they were fans of the handsome modeling group. They probably expected to see the boys playing at an average level at best. What they didn't expect was the objects of their affections being inhuman basketball gods. It drove them wild, especially the fans of the female variety.

Kuroko lifted the green-haired boy in his arms and pointed to someone on the court. "Do you see that onii-san over there? Watch what he can do." Down below, Midorima made one of his infamous high arching three-pointers. High pitched screams mingled with cheers.

The child's eyes turned into giant saucers. "How did he do that, onee-san?"

"Magic," Kuroko replied. There was a light tug on his uniform skirt. The five other children with multicolored wigs looked up with large puppy eyes.

"Onee-san," said the one with purple hair, "Can you carry me too?" They all seemed to ask the same question.

"One at a time okay?" They nodded while Kuroko set mini-Midorima down. "Ladies first," Kuroko said as he lifted the little girl with a matching sky-blue wig. "What's your name?"

The little girl looked ecstatic about being chosen first, "Maya!"

Kuroko nodded and turned to the court. "Who do think is the coolest onii-san?"

Maya clung to Kuroko's neck and stared at the court with all the concentration a five-year old could muster. "That one!" She pointed at the blond basketball player who had just made another layup. Pretty soon the other toddlers clamored to have their turn and see the really cool onii-sans.

* * *

On the other side of the court next to the director's seat, Momoi spotted Kuroko playing with the kids. _SO CUTE!_ She internally screamed, almost becoming lightheaded.

"Momoi-san, are you okay?" Nagao asked when he saw the pink haired manager stagger in place. As a response, she pointed across the court to Kuroko. "Oh how cute." He touched his earpiece, "Camera 3, can you pan over to the back of the stands with Kuroko and those kids. Just take a few shots and then go back to the game."

After taking a few calming breaths, Momoi asked, "So the next scene we're going to shoot is…?"

"Well I want to get all the indoor shots out of the way first, so right after this we're going to the classroom building."

* * *

"Go on, don't you want to say hi?" Six children hid behind Kuroko's legs as they came up to the classroom-converted dressing rooms. The Generation of Miracles was changing out of their basketball uniforms.

"Kurokocchi!" Kise greeted as he stepped out of the classroom. "Eh, what do you have there?" He leaned over to get a better look at the kids. They all had dark hair now, courtesy of their wigs being removed.

"Maya-chan, isn't there something you want to say to Kise onii-san?" Kuroko gently urged the only girl in the group.

Kise smiled, "Oh? What do you want to tell me?" He crouched down so he could be almost eye level. It only seemed to scare the kids more though, and they retreated further behind Kuroko's legs.

"I- I…" Maya stuttered while clinging to the back of Kuroko's skirt. Kuroko gave her an encouraging pat on the head. "Kise onii-san, I think you're really cool, and I want to be your bride when I grow up!" she gushed all at once. The door opened to the rest of the Generation of Miracles. The children's' eyes opened wide to see the really cool onii-sans up close. Akashi, Murasakibara, and Midorima all wore khaki slacks and a maroon blazer and tie, the uniform for the music video. Aomine and Kise were in casual clothes, apparently done for the day.

"Ryouta, I would advise against pedophilia," Akashi said smugly.

Midorima held a koala bear in his palm. "Really, she can't be more than five."

"Kise-chin's popular with all the girls~" Murasakibara munched a potato chip.

Aomine snickered, "Don't break her heart now."

"Eh?! Wait! I'm not-" He shot a look at Kuroko who kept his usual blank expression. Kise wasn't fooled though, he did this on purpose! But he couldn't whine and look uncool in front of the children. Being the gentleman he was, Kise took the girl's little hands and said, "I'm sorry Maya-chan, but onii-san's too old to marry you."

Maya looked at her hands and blushed. "Then… You should marry Teru onee-chan!" Kuroko hadn't expected _that_. He looked down at the innocent girl with slightly widened eyes that constituted his surprised expression.

"No!" A squeaky voice piped up. It was the boy who had played mini-Murasakibara. "Teru onee-chan is going to be _my_ bride!" To emphasize his point, he clung to one of Kuroko's legs.

"Wait a second-" Kuroko tried.

"We can't have that." Akashi knelt down, "Terumi is going to marry _me._ " Somehow, Akashi managed a pleasant, non-threatening smile to mini-Murasakibara, whose eyes started to glitter. Kuroko frowned at Akashi, who smirked up at him.

"Really, onii-san?" mini-Murasakibara loosened his hold. "That's okay then. You were really cool when you played basketball! Everyone fell down when you ran through!" To demonstrate, he tumbled on the floor.

A small hand tugged on Midorima's pants. "Onii-san?" Midorima looked down at a boy who hardly reached his knees. It was the same kid who had played the child version of Midorima. "I think you're the coolest because you can shoot the ball very far."

The shooting guard's face tinted red. "Th-thank you." Mini-Midorima kept staring up at him and didn't let go. Unsure of what to do, Midorima ruffled the kid's hair. Mini-Midorima beamed and ran back to Kuroko.

"Teru onee-chan, I'm hungry," said the boy who had played mini-Aomine.

"Ah? Here~ I have lots of snacks." Murasakibara crouched low to give the kids boxes of cookies. Their eyes grew wider at the giant man who had just handed them sweets.

"Onii-san, I wanna be as big as you when I grow up!" Mini-Akashi declared.

Mini-Aomine asked wide-eyed, "How did you get so big?"

"Ehh… I just eat and sleep a lot~" Murasakibara answered while munching another chip.

"Aren't those your snacks for the day, Murasakibara-kun?" Kuroko asked.

Murasakibara shrugged, "I hated being hungry when I was little."

"There you guys are!" Everyone turned to see Momoi stopping in front of them and catching her breath. "The parents are worried sick looking for their kids!"

"I'm sorry, it's my fault," Kuroko apologized, looking contrite. "The kids wanted to meet everyone."

Momoi was taken aback by Kuroko's guilty face and the happy little kids who were all holding boxes of cookies. _Did I just miss something adorable?!_ she fretted before taking a deep breath. "That's okay, they have to go now though." Momoi straightened up and pulled out her clipboard. "Midorin and Tetsu-kun are going to library now to shoot their scenes. Muk-kun and Akashi-kun will have some down time until it's their turns. Ki-chan and Dai-chan are done for today and can go home." While saying this, she handed the boys single sheets of paper with their individual scenes.

"Eh? We're only getting this now?" Kise asked. "Shouldn't we get the entire script before filming?"

 _Urk._ "Ah. No. Nagao-san said this will help you guys more since you don't know how to act anyway." She wasn't sure if they'd accept this half-baked excuse, but they didn't say anything. "So Midorin and Tetsu-kun can follow me to the library. And Dai-chan, can you take the kids back to their parents?"

"Hah-? Why me?"

Momoi shot him a look, "And you have more important things to do? Besides you're done for today."

Aomine yawned, "Sure I do. Sleeping for one, and salvaging the rest of this three-day weekend for another. And Kise's done too!"

"Ki-chan has a game later!"

"Ugh. Yeah, yeah I got it. Let's go, kids." He turned to the little tykes. They retreated behind Kuroko, again. They didn't want to go with the tall, dark, and scary looking onii-san.

Kuroko knelt down again, "Don't worry, he's not as scary as he looks. He'll take you to your parents, okay?" Six squeaky voices started to protest. "How about this, if you go with him, then you can ask your parents to let him teach you basketball."

"Oi! What are you promising them, Tetsu?!"

Kuroko peered at the other with an straight face, "Because Aomine-kun doesn't have anything important to do."

Aomine narrowed his eyes at the boy-dressed-as-a-girl. "Fine." The kids gasped in delight as they crowded around him.

* * *

_Scene 5_

_INT. SCHOOL LIBRARY_

_Midorima sits at a table with piles of books stacked around him. He's very concentrated and looks through the books one by one. It seems as if he's looking for something but can't find it. After closing the last book from the last stack, he stands up to search again for the book._

_Kuroko puts down a book at the seat Midorima just left. She glances over the other piles of books with a warm smile. When Midorima returns, Kuroko is already gone, having left the book behind. Midorima picks up the book and looks through it. His face lights up. This was what he was looking for. He adjusts his glasses to hide the obvious smile tugging at his mouth._

_Scene 14 (from scene 5)_

_INT. SCHOOL LIBRARY_

_Kuroko puts down a book at the seat Midorima just left. She glances over the other piles of books with a warm smile. When Midorima returns, Kuroko is sitting in the next chair over, and grins when Midorima's face lights up._

* * *

"In the Leila commercial, Natashou Yuna used Kuroko-chan's ability to her advantage by showing the clips twice. This is using the same principle, so think of scenes 5 and 14 as continuous, yeah?" Nagao explained. Midorima sat at the table, piles of books around him, and Kuroko stood a little behind next to a bookshelf. "Okay you're good with the script right?" Nagao sat down, and the cameras turned, "Action."

Midorima didn't know how to act, but he knew the frustration of looking for proper resources. He flipped through the pages of some books before standing as dictated by the script. Kuroko had a harder time forcing a smile. He wasn't really the type to show expressions after all. _Just think of something that makes you happy,_ Masamune had told him. Kuroko thought back to the kids from earlier. The smile came easily then.

While the rest of the scene was acted out, Momoi marveled at how the script fit so well with Midorima's personality. _Nagao-san's really good at this kind of thing…_

* * *

_Scene 20_

_INT. SCHOOL LIBRARY_

_Kuroko is on her toes trying to get a book on the top shelf. Her fingers can't even brush the bottom of the shelf. A hand reaches over her and easily grasps the book. Kuroko turns around to find Midorima handing it to her. She tilts her head and smiles as a thank you._

_Midorima pats her head, obviously making fun of her height. Kuroko pouts and teasingly punches him in the arm._

* * *

Kuroko huffed. This scene was a little too real for his liking. He reached up trying to grab a red book on the top shelf.

"Didn't something like this happen in middle school?" Midorima said while taking the book overhead.

"It didn't," Kuroko denied, turning around to look up at Midorima.

"Liar. We were on library committee together." He handed Kuroko the book. Back at Teikou he was even smaller and skinnier than now. Sometime after Kuroko had been promoted to a regular and Midorima had gotten used to the phantom player's presence, he saw Kuroko trying to get a book on a high shelf. The scene had played out similarly, albeit in fewer words.

Kuroko bowed his head and had a small smile on his face. Midorima made it disappear by patting the sky-blue head. "If you're fortunate, you'll grow until your twenties. Until then I suggest taking your horoscope seriously." His hand was brushed away.

"I'm sorry, but if that means I'll end up like Midorima-kun, I'd rather not," Kuroko deadpanned.

Midorima scowled, "Why you-"

"Cut. Alright, that scene should be fine, even if Kuroko-chan forgot to punch Midorima-kun."

"We can do it again," Kuroko offered.

Nagao grinned, "No that's fine. I feel like the interaction was more natural the first time around. Thank you for today, Midorima-kun. I'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

"Onii-san, onii-san," mini-Kise pestered as they walked to the front of the school where their parents were, "Are you gonna teach us basketball?"

"He's gonna teach me first!" mini-Akashi exclaimed.

"Oi, oi, you have to ask your parents first!" Something tugged at Aomine's pants leg. It was mini-Murasakibara. "What's wrong?"

"Is that red haired onii-san really going to marry Teru onee-chan?" he asked.

Aomine opened his mouth to say that Akashi was joking, that their onee-chan was actually another onii-san, but instead he said something entirely different. "No, she's going to marry me."

The children gasped. "Onii-san! Are you going to fight for her?" Maya asked, her eyes big saucers.

"Maybe," Aomine smirked.

* * *

_Scene 8_

_INT. STUDENT COUNCIL ROOM_

_Akashi looks feverish. His face is flushed and he's coughing into his hand. He ignores it though, and continues working on the mound of papers stacked on the desk. Kuroko sees him through the door and frowns. In his feverish state, Akashi can't see Kuroko removing the papers from under him. Akashi tries to get up but staggers and falls over._

_He's lying on the floor now. There's a blanket draped over him, and another jacket bundled up as a makeshift pillow under his head. The papers are stacked neatly on the table along with a bottle of water and medicine._

_Scene 17 (from scene 8)_

_INT. STUDENT COUNCIL ROOM_

_Akashi is lying on the floor. His head is in Kuroko's lap. She's stroking his hair. There's a blanket draped over him, and the papers are stacked neatly on the table along with a bottle of water and medicine._

* * *

"Would you do this for me if I really was sick?" Akashi asked lying in Kuroko's lap.

"Akashi-kun never gets sick." Kuroko said as he gently stroked the flame colored hair.

"Is that a yes?"

Kuroko frowned, "You're surprisingly childish."

Akashi chuckled and closed his eyes. "I wonder why."

"Cut. Okay, let's move to the next scene."

* * *

_Scene 23_

_INT. NURSE'S OFFICE_

_Kuroko is sleeping in one of the beds. She has a bandage on her face, a hint to why she's in the nurse's office in the first place. Akashi sits at a chair by her side. Since the nurse is nowhere to be seen, he's taking care of her._

_He places a wet towel on Kuroko's forehead as she opens her eyes. She reaches out to hold his hand and smiles._

* * *

The bandage on his face itched, but he resisted the urge to touch it. Kuroko tentatively grasped the hand on his forehead, "Akashi-kun?"

"Yes, Tetsuya?"

He paused, wondering how to say this. "Why?"

Akashi raised an eyebrow, "You have to be a little more specific than that."

"Why are you- why is everyone, doing this?" Kuroko had puzzled over it ever since Kagami made that comment.

Red and yellow eyes glinted. "Who knows?"

"That doesn't answer my question."

Akashi leisurely brushed his fingers over Kuroko's cheek, "Then perhaps you shouldn't ask."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One-take shots are usually not possible, but for the sake of my sanity and the progression of this story, please ignore that fact.
> 
> And if you're wondering about the script, shhhhh. It will all make sense in time. Hopefully. I took out (my version of) Zelo (completely unrelated from the rl pretty one) from the shooting for now because I don't wanna write OCs…
> 
> No really, Kuroko's alternate job as a preschool teacher is the cutest shit in the world.


	11. Chapter 11

Kise checked his watch. There was still some time to kill before the game. He was walking out of the classroom building when he heard voices. Unwilling to be held up by screaming fangirls, Kise quickly hid behind a corner.

"Hey, did you see the lead girl for the MV?"

"Yeah! Don't you think she's ugly?"

"Oh my god, I thought the same thing."

"Her face is creepy! Not cute at all."

"I heard her talk! She totally sounds like a man. And she says 'boku' instead of 'atashi!'* So gross."

"Maybe she's a tranny."

"Eww, they'd pick a tranny for Zelo's music video? Yuck."

He had enough. Kise stepped out to meet the group of prattling girls. There were four of them, extras from the basketball game no doubt, and could probably be considered cute in a different context. They gasped to see the handsome blonde approaching.

"Kise-kun!" She's the one who called Kuroko ugly.

"We saw you playing basketball earlier. You were so cool!" said the one who called Kuroko's face creepy.

A smile donned the model's face, a mocking, even contemptuous smile. The girls failed to see this and blushed in obvious delight. "You know," Kise dropped his voice seductively. "I absolutely adore my fans. I think they're the cutest things in the world." He ran a hand through his golden hair. The girls squealed in the annoying way girls did when they tried too hard to be cute. Kise loosened his tie. "But I don't think I've ever seen such ugly ass pigs in my life." Their squeals stopped.

The girl who called Kuroko a tranny asked, "Ki- kise-kun, what did you say? I think I heard you wrong."

Kise's voice turned to a purr as he finally stood over them. "Did I stutter? You all look like ugly pigs-"

She slapped him across the face.

Kise touched his cheek where it stung. "Oh my, ruining my face the day before my filming with Kurokocchi. How detestable."

"How can you say that to us?!" asked the girl who called Kuroko disgusting. She raised her hand to slap him too, but Kise caught her wrist before it reached his face. She yelped when he squeezed it a little too tightly. Her friends froze.

"Look, your wrist's so thick. You must be fat as well as ugly."

"Asshole!" the girl screamed while trying to pry her wrist away.

Kise just pulled the girl closer, his golden eyes darkening, "If I hear you talking about Kurokocchi again, I swear I'll rip that ugly mouth off your face." He let go, and they ran off.

"Kise? What are you still doing here?" Aomine came up from behind, yawning into his hand.

Kise turned around, his face reverting back to its sunny disposition. "Nothing~ I was just heading to my game," he singsonged. "I thought Aominecchi was teaching the kids how to play basketball."

Aomine rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, their parents didn't let them."

"Hah…" Kise wasn't surprised. The guy practically exuded a suspicious person aura. Definitely not someone you wanted to leave your kids with. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Hey-" Aomine grabbed Kise's arm as he walked past.

Kise's smile could outshine the sun. "Yes, Aominecchi?"

Aomine frowned and let go, "Nothing. See you tomorrow." The blonde shrugged and went away. He had been too far to hear anything, but Aomine had seen everything starting from when the girl slapped Kise. The looks on the girls' faces did not seem like those of infatuated fans. _What happened?_

* * *

_Scene 22_

_INT. CLASSROOM_

_Kuroko has stayed behind to finish painting a poster for what appears to be the school festival. Her hair is disheveled, and her arms are splattered with paint. She puts down her paintbrush to hold her stomach, obviously hungry since she skipped lunch working on the poster._

_From behind, Murasakibara places a bento in her hands. She gives him a questioning look. He points to his own bento, and they eat together._

* * *

"Kuro-chin~ what's that?" Murasakibara used his chopsticks to point at something in Kuroko's bento.

"It looks like a dumpling. Do you want to try, Murasakibara-kun?" Kuroko reflexively picked up a dumpling with his chopsticks and offered it to the other. Murasakibara leaned over and promptly chomped it down. Kuroko felt like he was feeding a child.

"Waahh it's yummy! I didn't have that in mine." Murasakibara looked down at his already finished lunch. The giant usually ate a lot more than the meager bento prop.

"Here," Kuroko placed his barely touched bento in Murasakibara's lap. "I'm not very hungry."

"Kuro-chin doesn't eat enough." Though he gratefully accepted the extra food.

"Hmm… It's okay isn't it? Models have to watch their figures."

Murasakibara stopped chewing; his violet eyes narrowed. "I don't like that, Kuro-chin."

"Which one?" Sky blue eyes looked up at him.

Murasakibara abruptly shoved a dumpling in Kuroko's mouth. "You're too small already. Eat more." His childish voice almost sounded parental.

After chewing and swallowing Kuroko replied, "But I'm really not hungry."

"I don't like Kuro-chin modeling if it means he won't eat." Murasakibara moved closer, his enormous figure looming over the smaller boy. Kuroko didn't move, but simply stared up at the purple-haired giant with his usual placid face.

"Cut. Alright, let's move to the auditorium for the next scene and then we can call it a wrap for today."

* * *

_Scene 7_

_INT. AUDITORIUM_

_Murasakibara is alone in the auditorium adding last-minute touches to a set design. He's been working since lunchtime and hasn't had time to eat. Kuroko notices this from the back of the auditorium. Murasakibara holds his stomach, implying his hunger. He sighs realizing he still has to go out to buy something to eat._

_As Murasakibara walks away from the set, he finds a large bento on the edge of stage. "For you," a small note reads on cute stationary. He eats the bento happily beside the finally finished set._

_Scene 16 (from scene 7)_

_INT. AUDITORIUM_

_Murasakibara finds a large bento on the edge of stage. "For you," a small note reads on cute stationary. He eats the bento happily beside the finally finished set, Kuroko sitting by his side._

* * *

Just as the script dictated, Murasakibara found a large bento with a cute note sitting on the edge of the stage. Unlike what the script dictated, a mound of vending machine snacks also sat beside the lunchbox.

"Nagao-san, is that okay? It wasn't in the script." Momoi read through the booklet once again to make sure.

"It's okay, it's okay. It was Kuroko-chan's suggestion," Nagao said from his chair. He was pleased with how smoothly the filming had gone so far. _Tomorrow's scenes shouldn't be a problem then…_

"Tetsu-kun's idea?"

"What's this?" Murasakibara picked up a bag of popcorn from the stack. "These weren't in the script."

Kuroko sat a little ways away from him. "You don't have anymore because you gave them to the kids, right? Sorry, it was my fault for bringing them."

"Did you buy these, Kuro-chin? Waahh thank you~" Murasakibara sat down and scarfed down the bag of popcorn before touching the lunchbox.

Nagao allowed the camera to roll for a little longer before yelling, "Cut! Alright we're good for today. Murasakibara-kun, Kuroko-chan, I'll see you two tomorrow."

* * *

"Did you see her?" A guy with wavy brown hair asked.

His companion sported a buzz cut and multiple piercings on his ears. "Yeah, she's even cuter in real life."

"What about those guys? I bet she sucks their dicks," said a third guy with bleached hair.

The last guy with a fauxhawk chuckled, "I wouldn't mind that."

Mr. buzz cut and ear piercings shrugged, "They're pretty good at basketball I guess."

"Yeah right. I bet I could take 'em." said Mr. Bleached Hair.

"Dunno man, they were owning the other team pretty bad."

"Whatever. I saw another chick too, huge tits." Mr. Fauxhawk looked to the classroom building where the filming was taking place.

Mr. wavy hair rolled his eyes. "At least tomorrow will be interesting."

* * *

_Scene 4_

_INT. CLASSROOM – MORNING_

_Early morning light shines through the windows. Kise is at his desk fiddling with a pencil between his fingers. He looks distracted, obviously unable to pay attention to the lesson. Kuroko is in a different desk at the far end of the classroom. She smiles fondly and takes out a piece of paper._

_A paper airplane lands on Kise's desk. He's surprised; it flew from behind him. He looks around the classroom to see who could have thrown it but can't see anyone. Kise opens the paper airplane to find the words 'Pay attention!' and smiles._

_Scene 13 (from scene 4)_

_INT. CLASSROOM – MORNING_

_A paper airplane lands on Kise's desk. He's surprised; it flew from behind him. He looks around the classroom. Kuroko sits at the back and watches as Kise opens the paper airplane._

_Scene 19_

_INT. CLASSROOM – MORNING_

_Kuroko is nervous. The teacher is handing out a test she hasn't studied much for. Kise can see her from his desk up front. He takes out a piece of paper and begins folding it._

_A paper airplane lands on Kuroko's desk. The teacher hasn't noticed, so she opens it and reads, 'Good luck!' with a large heart drawn next to it. Kuroko looks over to find Kise grinning and giving a thumbs up. She smiles and waves back._

* * *

"Kurokocchi~" Kise sang as he sat next to the other. It was day two of filming, and Kise was the first to have his scenes shot for the day.

"Good work, Kise-kun," Kuroko praised, he fiddled with the paper airplane on his desk.

Kise grinned, "Did you like my drawing?" There was a kiss mark drawing on the airplane where a heart should have been. "Ow! Why'd you do that, Kurokocchi," Kise whined, rubbing the spot on his head where the pointy edge of the paper airplane hit.

"What happened to your face?" Kuroko asked. The small forward had walked in that morning with a ruddy cheek. The makeup artists went into a frenzy scolding him for not taking care of himself better. Thankfully, the foundation powder hid the bruise well.

On the other side of the classroom were the same four girls from yesterday. They whispered among themselves and kept stealing glances at Kuroko and Kise until the latter casually glanced in their direction. They left the classroom as Kise turned back to Kuroko and shrugged. "Mah, I just didn't look where I was going I guess."

Something of apprehension showed behind Kuroko's blank stare. "You should be more careful, Kise-kun."

Kise let out a mock gasp, "What's this? Kurokocchi's worried about me?"

"Kise-kun's face is his only redeeming feature," Kuroko said as he got up from the desk.

"Haah? That's so mean!"

"Kuroko-chan, if you can get dressed for your next scene with Aomine-kun." Nagao said after reviewing the filmed scenes. "Kise-kun, your next scene will be after lunch with the rest of the boys."

Kise nodded and watched Kuroko leave the room with the rest of the filming crew. _Why_ did _I do that yesterday? There were probably better ways to handle the situation. But they just made me so mad talking about Kurokocchi like that…_ Kise slumped in his desk as Kuroko and the rest of the camera crew filed out of the classroom. He really wasn't good at using his head.

" _For being observant towards other people's feelings, you're pretty dense about your own."_ Kasamatsu's words ran through his memory.

Kise sat up.

"Oh," he said to the now empty classroom.

" _You'll figure it out soon enough."_

" _Oh_ ," Kise repeated, looking at the airplane that been left behind, the kiss mark drawing bright red against the white paper.

* * *

_Scene 6_

_EXT. SCHOOL STADIUM – AFTERNOON_

_Aomine is stadium running. He runs up and down almost every section before plopping down in exhaustion. Kuroko watches him from underneath the stadium; she looks concerned. Aomine lies at the top of stairs looking up at the sky. He covers his eyes with an arm, and his tears mingle with sweat. A cold drink is pressed to his cheek._

_He opens his eyes, but no one is there. Nonetheless, he sits up and chugs the cold beverage. Aomine tosses the empty bottle and wipes the grin on his mouth. He stands up and continues running through the stadium, all the tiredness gone._

_Scene 15 (from scene 6)_

_EXT. SCHOOL STADIUM – AFTERNOON_

_Aomine lies at the top of stairs looking up at the sky. A cold drink is pressed to his cheek. He opens his eyes and looks up at Kuroko. Aomine chugs the bottle and wipes the grin on his mouth._

* * *

"Why are my scenes the only ones outside?!" Aomine complained after they finished filming. Due to the nature of his scene, Aomine had to run up the stadium stairs multiple times to get the best shots. But even a seasoned athlete like him felt the fatigue of climbing thousands of stairs.

"Because Aomine-kun isn't suited for classroom settings." Kuroko tilted his head at the tan figure lying on the cement.

The power forward grimaced. He couldn't really deny that statement. Sighing, he leaned his head back and watched the clouds drift by. They had a few minutes to rest since Nagao was still reviewing the scenes just filmed.

"Aomine-kun?" Kuroko knelt beside him.

He grunted something that sounded like, "What's up."

"Why are you doing this?" Kuroko couldn't let it go after all. The Generation of Miracles motivation to suddenly becomes models was a curious question that wanted an answer.

Aomine raised an eyebrow and turned his head to Kuroko. The boy's eyes were the same color as the sky behind him. "Why are you asking?"

"It's just… unlike you. Or everyone else for that matter."

The figure on the floor shrugged and closed his eyes. "Who knows? Extra money probably."

Kuroko frowned. "But-"

"Tetsu, shouldn't you be more worried about our next scene than useless shit like that?" Aomine rolled forward and stood up. Why indeed? He had a vague idea of the answer. Only he wasn't willing to admit it just yet.

* * *

_Scene 21 (from scene 6)_

_EXT. SCHOOL STADIUM – AFTERNOON_

_Kuroko has just finished running laps around the track. She's lying on the grass panting. Aomine appears above her and presses a cold drink to her cheek._

_She gratefully accepts while he heads to one of the stadium sections. Aomine bolts to the top of stairs, turns back to Kuroko and waves, a large grin on his face. She waves back._

* * *

"You're still terrible at running I see," Aomine noted while placing the Pocari next to Kuroko's face.

"I'm not," Kuroko frowned up at the other. Strands of Kuroko's wig clung to his beaded face.

Aomine scoffed, "You're panting after fifty meters!"

Kuroko took the Pocari, "But I'm definitely better at running now." Aomine watched a trickle of liquid miss the boy's full lips and trail down a slim jaw, pale neck, and below the thin fabric of the workout clothes. A part of his mind screamed to see the rest of the skin under that blasted shirt.

"Aomine-kun?" The voice was Nagao's.

"Wha- huh?" Aomine shook his head and turned around.

"We need to shoot the next scene."

Aomine blinked and looked back at Kuroko, "Yeah… right."

* * *

_Scene 24_

_INT. SCHOOL GYM - AFTERNOON_

_Kuroko watches as the boys play their basketball game. They can't see her from where she's watching. Her face falls as they start fighting._

_Scene 10_

_INT. SCHOOL GYM - AFTERNOON_

_The gym is empty except for the six friends; the boys form a half circle around Kuroko. She stands under one of the rims while they shout at her. From their hand gestures and body language, they're asking her to choose. Kuroko shakes her head and runs away._

* * *

Nagao coughed into his hand. "And now the moment you've all been waiting for. The scene where everyone fights over Kuroko-chan!" and under his breath, "-kind of." He grinned at the apprehensive looks on his actors' faces. Momoi handed them another sheet of paper with the script.

He allowed them a minute to read and comprehend the material before speaking again. "Now scene ten is really short, But it's probably one of the most important scenes in the music video because it's a turning point of sorts. I'll need you all to try your best, okay?" When he was met with silence, he continued on, "Remember that music videos don't have the luxury of dialogue. So a crucial thing to remember is that your body language and facial expressions need to convey what words can't. If you don't do this right then the story will be incomprehensible."

"And how exactly do we portray, 'asking her to choose' with body language?" Midorima asked.

"I'm glad you asked, Midorima-kun," Nagao flashed his white teeth. "For this scene especially, it's best to become the characters you're portraying and feel their emotions. And then when we begin filming, you improv your lines."

"Ne~ How do we become the characters? Don't they already have our names~?" Murasakibara chewed a licorice stick.

"That was for writing purposes since the names of the characters aren't explicitly stated in the video. Basically, I want you to become the group of boys who are madly in love with their friend and simply can't take it anymore. These boys are willing to ruin their childhood friendship for the sake of a girl. "

"The hell- would that even happen…" Aomine muttered, scratching the back of his head.

Nagao smiled, "First, imagine that you're confessing to your best friend. You've known each other since you were children, and now you like them more than a friend. Do you tell them and risk losing your friendship? What about your other friends? Would you risk losing their friendship too, knowing that they like the same person you do. Imagine throwing all those doubts away because no matter what, you want to be with that person. No one here's had that feeling?"

"It'd be like Aominecchi confessing to Momoicchi!" Kise exclaimed. "OW!" Aomine and Momoi hit him in the head and gut simultaneously.

"Who'd want to go out with him/her?!" They yelled in unison.

"I know that feeling." Kuroko's voice was soft and calm.

"Eh? Tetsu-kun has…?"

Kuroko looked down at the floor. "Seeing that person everyday, hanging out with that person, enjoying everything with them, yet unable to tell them your feelings for fear they might hate you, and all the happy times you had will disappear." He lifted his head to reveal calm azure eyes. "Although I never did confess." The group fell silent.

Nagao eyed the individuals present. They looked as clueless as he was. _So Kuroko-kun had a crush and didn't tell anyone. This is getting interesting indeed._ "Right. So I'll give you guys about an hour and a half for lunch. That should be enough time to get into character and prepare some things to say. Good luck!"

* * *

"Kurokocchi!" Kise cried, "You had an unrequited love? Who was it? When was it? Why didn't you tell me?" They were eating lunch at the school's cafeteria.

"Tch. You should have told me, Tetsu," Aomine chomped an eggroll, "I could've helped you."

"Tetsu-kun!" Momoi's eyes brimmed with tears, "Who was this person?"

Kuroko sighed, "It was a long time ago."

"I don't recall Tetsuya having many friends in middle school beside us," Akashi mused.

"So before middle school?" Midorima must have been curious too.

"A long time ago," Kuroko repeated.

"Why didn't you confess, Kuro-chin?" Murasakibara scooped a large spoonful of fried rice into his mouth.

Kuroko poked his food before pushing it away and standing up, the chair screeching against the tile. "I suppose they broke my heart before I could." He left the cafeteria with his former teammates staring after him.

* * *

"Nagao-san, are they really going to be okay with this scene?" Momoi asked after finishing her lunch.

"Don't worry it'll turn out fine!" Nagao was writing some notes in his copy of the script. He was actually quite excited.

Momoi frowned, "What about the other scenes? When Tetsu-kun 'dies'? "

Nagao flicked his wrist, "We'll worry about that later. Let's just focus on getting this scene right first."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *boku – masculine 'I' / atashi – feminine 'I'
> 
> Paperman reference anyone?
> 
> After 10 chapters I'm finally hinting at Kuroko's feelings?? Who do you think it is?
> 
> the wonderful thing about the pronoun 'they' is that it can be used as a plural pronoun or "as a singular pronoun to refer to a person of unspecified sex" muahahaha


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning: kind of not really The Kite Runner spoilers?

Kuroko replayed the last hour in his mind and sighed. He regretted saying so much. Not only did it lead to unnecessary questioning, but also posed a possible risk of exposure. He already made a vow to take the secret to his grave, and now he had to worry about people finding out about his secret crush. In an attempt to push the worries to the back of his mind, Kuroko found a lone bench in the school quad to read his book. Maybe he could finish the rest of the chapter before it was time to shoot the next scene.

Just as he immersed himself into the winding sandstone alleys of the novel, a voice brought him back to the real world. "Hey there." Kuroko looked up from his book and blinked in surprise.

"Hello, uhm…" In front of Kuroko stood a rather pretty boy with wavy brown hair and flashy clothes.

"You can call me Rendou," he said while taking a seat on the bench.

"I'm Kuroko," he said slightly inching away. How weird to have a random stranger approach him so easily.

Rendou grinned, "Yes, I know. Teru-chan, right? I've been a fan ever since I saw you in the Leila ad with that blonde guy."

Kuroko tilted his head. "…Thank you." He lowered his book. Kuroko didn't really know what to do in this kind of situation. It was his first time having a total stranger try to strike up a conversation. Well, apart from that time in the mall. Kuroko wondered if it only happened when he dressed as a girl.

Rendou took the confusion in Kuroko's face as a go-ahead to keep talking. "Is this your first time reading that?" He pointed to the book on Kuroko's lap, _The Kite Runner._

Kuroko shook his head. "No, it's my second time. Have you read it?" Rendou didn't look the type to read, but who was he to judge based on appearances?

"Mhmm," he confirmed, "I had a hard time reading it after Part I because it was too depressing."

Kuroko nodded in agreement. "But even after all the cruel things Amir has done, I can't bring myself to hate him. I'm not justifying his actions, but in terms of narrative, that alleyway scene is essential in portraying the loss of innocence theme that plays throughout the novel. It also serves as the pivoting point in which Amir slowly changes to make up for his moral failure, ultimately leading to the path of redemption."

"Wow," Rendou said, a look of genuine astonishment on his face.

"I'm sorry," Kuroko covered his mouth apologetically, "I got carried away."

"Don't be! I'm impressed," the pretty boy chuckled. "I personally find it aggravating when Amir doesn't help Hassan. Of course jealousy might have played a crucial factor, and his resentment might have reached its peak at that point. And then there's also the feeling of superiority because Hassan is a Hazara and thus not worthy enough to help. Or maybe Amir really is a coward like Baba pegs him to be. I just found him to be a pretentious brat for doing that and then later framing them into leaving the house."

Kuroko blinked in surprise. "Rendou-san is impressive too. Do you like reading?"

"Almost as much as I love singing," Rendou smiled as if he said something clever. "What other books have you read?" he asked, quickly changing the subject.

"Oh-" As Kuroko named some his favorite novels, Rendou's grin grew wider with each successive title. Kuroko too, had his face light up as he fondly listed his favorite books. No one usually talked to him about novels so he found the conversation quite refreshing.

"Amazing. I didn't peg you as a bookworm," he said when Kuroko ran out of books.

Kuroko tilted his head, the sky blue hair slipping past his shoulders. "You don't look like the type either."

Rendou laughed, "So what's a pretty girl like you doing out here all by yourself?"

Kuroko glanced in the direction of the cafeteria. "I just needed some fresh air."

"Oh?" Rendou didn't miss the quick glance, "Are you and your friends having a fight?"

"No, it's nothing like that."

"Are they giving you trouble?"

Kuroko shook his head. "It's really nothing. Please don't worry about it. If you don't mind me asking, are you an extra for the music video?"

Rendou leaned in closer. "Something like that."

* * *

"Kurokocchi~" Kise called. They were going to shoot their next scene and he was sent to find their phantom model. " _Seeing that person everyday, hanging out with that person, enjoying everything with them…"_ That comment replayed in Kise's mind over and over. Who could it have been? " _A long time ago."_ Kise recalled a childhood friend Kuroko had, but he didn't mention him often back in Teikou. The 'hanging out with them everyday' ruled out the senpais so it had to be someone on the team, right? Kise groaned. Even after Kuroko left, the table continued discussing Kuroko's possible crush. The fact that their famous phantom player, known for rarely showing his feelings, to have an unrequited love was a fascinating case.

" _Yet unable to tell them your feelings for fear they might hate you, and all the happy times you had will disappear."_

As Kise rounded a corner, he noticed a familiar head of blue hair sitting next to an unfamiliar person. From his position, Kise only saw the back of Kuroko's head and the unfamiliar person really close to his face. That somehow sounded warning signals in the blonde's head. Kise called out to him, but by the time he reached Kuroko, the stranger had left in the other direction. "Who was that?" Kise asked. "Huh-? Kurokocchi, are you okay?" Kuroko had a strange look on his face that Kise couldn't place. He had to wave a hand in front of Kuroko's eyes before he got a reaction.

"Hello, Kise-kun," Kuroko glanced up at him. The sun reflected in his eyes clear as a tropical sea. "Is it time to shoot our next scene?"

Kise swallowed. He only just had his revelation a few hours ago and it was still a novelty he couldn't yet overcome. He knew he had to act normal, talk normal, but how could he when Kuroko looked so _breathtaking_ …"Ye-yeah… Nagao's calling us now."

* * *

"And… action!" Nagao said from his seat. The cameras and would-be actors were set up in the gym, Kuroko under one of the rims and the rest surrounding him in a half circle. "The moment of choice" Nagao called it, in which the girl had to choose between her five childhood friends.

"Kurokocchi!" Kise exclaimed, "You have to pick me over these guys because I'm obviously better and awesome!" He swung his arms as if to emphasize his point.

"My ass," Aomine mumbled under his breath.

"You're overdoing it, Kise," Midorima adjusted his glasses.

Aomine crossed his hands behind his head and leaned back, "This is bullshit. I still don't get it."

"Ehh… Weren't we supposed to come up with lines? Mine is, 'I think Kuro-chin should choose me because I have a lot of snacks,' " Murasakibara said drolly, although he wasn't carrying any at the moment.

On the other side of the camera, Momoi whispered to Nagao, "They don't look like they're doing well."

Nagao set his chin in his hand and had a conspiratorial grin, "No, just wait a moment."

"Tetsuya, what's this?" Akashi reached out to lightly pull a slip of paper from Kuroko's uniform pocket. He skimmed over its contents before asking, "Who gave this to you?" His calm voice hid the displeasure in his narrowed eyes.

"Lemme see that." Aomine snatched the slip of paper from Akashi's hands and frowned. Written in a neat scrawl were the words 'call me' with a number underneath. "Where'd this come from, Tetsu?" Kuroko took an unwitting step back at the hostility in his voice.

"Did another guy give you trouble?" Midorima asked, peering at the slip over Aomine's shoulder.

Aomine glared at Midorima, "What do you mean _another_ guy?"

The shooting guard adjusted his glasses. "It's not the first time someone's hit on Kuroko."

"Hah~ Kuro-chin has a stalker?" asked Murasakibara.

"No, he's not-"

"Eh-? Kurokocchi, was it that guy you were with?" Kise grasped Kuroko's shoulders.

Kuroko explained calmly, "Rendou-san probably put that in my pocket when he ki-" he stopped.

" _Rendou-san?"_ Midorima repeated. "He has a name? You can't just talk to strangers."

Akashi, of course, didn't miss Kuroko's sudden hesitation. "Finish what you were saying, Tetsuya." Akashi fixed his eyes intently on the other. When Kuroko broke their gaze, Akashi pursed his lips into a line.

"Wait, did he try something on you?" Aomine shoved Kise out of the way to look down on his former shadow.

"Not exactly-" Kuroko said as he felt the weight of Murasakibara, Midorima, Kise, and Akashi's stares.

"Kuro-chin? Who hurt you?"

"It seems you can't go anywhere without someone to watch over you," Midorima stated pointedly.

Akashi's voice smoothly cut into the argument, "What happened?"

Kuroko met his eyes before looking away again. "Nothing." Actually, he didn't know what he was trying to hide.

" _Tetsuya,"_ he said calmly, yet in a tone that demanded obedience. "You were about to say something."

Kuroko still didn't meet the captain's eyes. "He probably slipped that in my pocket when he said goodbye."

Midorima raised an eyebrow. "Without you noticing?"

"Wait." Kise thought back to the unfamiliar person and how his face had been really close to Kuroko's. "Did he kiss you?" he asked incredulously.

Kuroko paused and then nodded a little. "Here." He pointed to his forehead. Midorima scoffed. Murasakibara's jaw clenched.

"So who is this Rendou?" Akashi asked evenly.

"I don't think it really matters." Kuroko took another step back.

"Hey!" Aomine grabbed Kuroko's wrist. "Are you an idiot? You can't just let random guys touch you like that. What if something happened? I've fended off enough of Satsuki's stalkers to know there are some really creepy people out there."

Kuroko's face set to one of indignation. "He wasn't a suspicious person, and I know how to take care of myself. I'm not a girl despite how I dress." He pried his wrist from Aomine's hold.

"Forcing a kiss on someone qualifies as sexual harassment," stated Midorima.

"And as long as you dress like a girl, people are going to treat you like one. So you have to be more careful, Kurokocchi!" Kise reproved.

"Kuro-chin, where is this guy?"

Momoi watched wide-eyed as the boys argued. "Nagao-san, did you know this would happen?"

Nagao hummed in response, "Hmm? I hoped one of the boys would cause something, but I didn't think it would turn out so well." The scene was playing out wonderfully. Once the audio was removed, it would be just like the script described.

Kuroko was annoyed. Whether it was because of being treating like a helpless child or because he let slip another unnecessary comment, he wasn't sure. Remembering the script, Kuroko turned and darted off the court, ending the annoying conversation.

"Cut!" Nagao called from the megaphone. "Good job, boys. I'm glad you were able to improvise so well." He was met with a sulking silence. "Right… So up next is the accident / Kuroko-chan's death scene."

* * *

_Scene 3_

_EXT. _OUTSIDE OF GYM_ \- NIGHT_

_There is a car accident on the street. The red and blue lights are blinding. Many people watch as the medics pull a stretcher into an ambulance._

_Scene 9_

_INT. BOYS' ROOMS_

_Show various scenes of boys getting dressed in suits and ties._

_Scene 11_

_EXT. GRAVEYARD – AFTERNOON_

_Kise is holding a large bouquet of flowers, and Murasakibara is carrying a large basket of food. Midorima has a bucket and ladle in one hand. They walk through the graves until finally stopping in front of one. Akashi prepares the incense. Aomine sets down a picture of Kuroko. It is her grave._

_Scene 12 (from scene 3)_

_EXT. OUTSIDE OF GYM - NIGHT_

_The girl runs out of the gym into the rain. Meanwhile, a truck driver on the street loses control of the vehicle because of the slippery road. The headlights blind the camera, the girl's silhouette turns black._

_Scene 18 (cont. from scene 12)_

_EXT. STREET BESIDE GYM – NIGHT_

_The boys are among the crowd of people. They watch as the medics place their friend on a stretcher._

_Scene 24_

_EXT. BASKETBALL COURT – MIDDAY_

_Kuroko watches as the boys play their basketball game. They can't see her from where she's watching. Her face falls as they start fighting._

_Scene 25 (cont. from scene 12)_

_EXT. GRAVEYARD – AFTERNOON_

_The boys say their prayers and prepare to leave._

_CHILD KUROKO_

_(voice only)_

_We'll be together forever, won't we?_

_Kuroko trails behind them as they walk away from the grave. She turns back to the camera and places a finger to her lips._

* * *

"Eeehhh I don't get it~" Murasakibara complained after reading over the last remaining scenes. Everyone gathered to one side of the gym while the crew worked on the floor. For now, they didn't say anything about the last scene.

Momoi steeled herself, "Realize that the music video isn't in chronological order. The first two scenes are a prologue of sorts to establish the friendship between the group of friends. It portrays how close they are and gives the smallest of hints to their crush for the girl. The next scene only shows ambulance lights and a stretcher being pulled away to foreshadow the tragedy to come. Ten to twelve establish that the girl had a tragic accident after her argument with her friends. So in scenes four to eight, she's already dead. Those same clips are revisited in thirteen to seventeen to allow the audience to realize that she was in fact a ghost during those scenes-"

Kise held up a hand, "Wait, what? So Kurokocchi was supposed to be a ghost?"

"Technically, yes." Momoi paused to peek at her audience's horrified expressions before continuing, "Initially, nothing seems out of the ordinary because it just looks like the girl taking care of her precious friends."

"That's idiotic," Midorima stated. "Things like that don't just happen."

Momoi stuck her tongue out. "You should see my mom's Korean dramas. Anyway, scenes nineteen to twenty-three are flashbacks to before the accident. They're meant to explain how the love wasn't one-sided. Each of her friends are special to her not just because they've been together since childhood, but because there's something precious in each of them that make them so endearing," the inflection in Momoi's voice raised slightly.

Aomine made a face, "When did you become such a sap, Satsuki?"

Momoi flushed, "Shut up! It's a really good story, okay?! I liked it more after Nagao-san explained everything to me-"

"Thank you, Momoi-chan. I can take it from here," Nagao said from behind the group.

The manager sighed in relief, "Ah thanks. I'm afraid I'm not doing the story any justice with my explanation."

Nagao gave her an encouraging pat on the head, "I think you did fine. Any questions?" he addressed the boys.

"Isn't this story really cheesy?" Kise asked.

"How so?"

"Things like that don't really happen right? What are the chances of all those guys falling for the same girl?"

The photographer smiled, "You'd be surprised." Momoi gave him a sideways galnce. "But I need you to understand the underlying nuances in the story."

"Such as?" Midorima toyed with a rabbit keychain in his hand.

"The power of love for one thing. Tell me, what's the title of this song?"

"Ah~ It's 'Where I Cannot Find You,' " said Murasakibara through a mouthful of cashews.

"Yes, it's part of a line from a famous novel. Anyone know which one?"

Kuroko blinked. "Wuthering Heights?"

Nagao smiled. "In his grief over his beloved's death, the main character declares he would rather have the love of his life haunt him on earth than find peace in heaven. And so in a passion, he declares, ' _Be with me always - take any form - drive me mad! Only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! Oh, God! It is unutterable! I cannot live without my life! I cannot live without my soul!'*_ "

"Wuthering Heights? That morbid novel?" Midorima adjusted his glasses.

"I wouldn't say that, Shintarou. I enjoyed it." Akashi said.

"You would."

"Wu-sa-rin-gu hai-to-su…?" Ahomine tried sounding out the foreign title. "What book is that? And what's it gotta do with the music video?"

He was ignored. "So the girl is Catherine, and the boys are all Heathcliff?" Kuroko asked Nagao.

"Exactly. She is bound to earth and able to interact with them because the boys are unwilling to let her soul rest in peace. Likewise, the girl loves them so much she won't move on. She watches over them in death just as she did in life."

"Wahh that's scary~" Murasakibara whined.

Just then, the shrieks of screaming fangirls echoed through the gym. While security held fans back, four handsome boys in flashy outfits walked through the doors.

"Ah, Zelo's here for filming." Nagao waved them over before turning back to the GoM, "I'll introduce you guys first. Then while we're still setting up the rainmaker for the next scene, you guys can either stay and watch or go outside to greet your fans."

"Hey, Nagao-san," said the Zelo band member with platinum blond hair that hung over his eyes. Trailing behind him were his band mates.

"Nice to see you Shu-kun," Nagao greeted. "Kazuhi-kun," he said to the one with his hair styled in a short fauxhawk. "Hiroto-kun," he addressed the one with a piercing on his eyebrow. "And-"

"Rendou-san," Kuroko broke in. At the mention of his name, five gazes snapped to the person in question.

"Hi, Teru-chan~" the wavy brunette singsonged. He took note of the hostile stares directed at him.

"Oh you know each other already, how nice." Nagao sensed the one-sided animosity coming from his actors. "Please meet Akashi-kun, Aomine-kun, Midorima-kun, Murasakibara-kun, Kise-kun, and Kuroko-chan." Both sides bowed politely. "We're going to start shooting in a minute, so please wait until I call you." Nagao strode off to oversee the rest of the equipment set-up.

"Thanks for appearing in our music video," Kazuhi said. "I heard you guys are quite impressive. Especially you," he winked at Kuroko. "Our manager said your basketball skills are phenomenal. You know, for kids."

Kise sighed. Being in the industry for so long, he met with so many arrogant models who thought themselves better than everyone else. These people seemed no different. Fortunately, he'd long ago learned to ignore the other party's rudeness and simply smile. Unfortunately, his former teammates had yet to learn this lesson and looked ready to start something.

Murasakibara narrowed his eyes. "We're not kids."

"I dunno, sixteen is pretty young. You're still first-years, right?" the one called Shu chuckled.

"You're not that much older," Aomine objected.

"Oh? Rendou's nineteen. The rest of us are over twenty. That's legal drinking age in case you forgot." Shu gestured to the members of Zelo. They were all of similar height and build, probably around 180 cm, and good-looking in the pretty way most Asian stars were.

"I can't recall how the ability to consume liquor relates to emotional maturity," Midorima stated matter-of-factly. Beside him, Akashi broke his expression of cool indifference to one of bemusement.

Kazuhi scoffed, "Did you just insult us?"

Momoi couldn't take it anymore. She was _not_ going to have her boys get into another conflict and get in trouble. "Oh look at the time, we have to go retouch your guys' makeup," she said while attempting to push the GoM away from Zelo.

"Whoa don't leave yet." Shu's eyes lit up. "Why don't you stay awhile and hang out with us?" He gave Momoi a once over and smirked. She cringed and shifted behind Murasakibara.

"Hey, bastard-" Aomine lurched forward, but someone was already in front of him.

"Excuse me," said Kuroko, ever so politely. "Please don't talk to our manager like that. It is rude. And your comments earlier were completely unnecessary. Kindly refrain from insulting one's skill in basketball until you play against them." He stood between the two parties, his stare steady and unreadable.

"Well look at that," Hiroto smirked. "This one's got beauty _and_ guts." He forced both Shu and Kazuhi's heads down. "Excuse their rudeness. It must be their time of month. I'll be taking them now to rehearse for filming." While Hiroto dragged his bandmates to the middle of the gym, Rendou lingered behind.

"Teru-chan, are you going to watch us?"

"Sure, at least until our next scene."

"Great! Maybe I'll catch you before you go."

Kuroko was going to say something until Aomine threw an arm around the shadow and dragged him back. "Yeah, that's probably not gonna happen. Our next scene's in a few minutes," Aomine said with his back turned.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Momoi grumbled, "Why are all the talented ones so rude?"

"I don't like them. Especially that Shu guy," Aomine said.

"I'll have to agree with you for once," Midorima admitted

Kise sighed, "They're just like any other arrogant celebrities."

"I think they're mean~!" Murasakibara whined, chomping furiously on his Maiubo.

"They certainly don't know their place," Akashi murmured.

Kuroko didn't comment. They seated themselves on the bleachers to watch Zelo film their song. In the middle of the basketball court, the crew arranged an intricate light and sound system around a drum set, keyboard, and two microphone stands. Zelo talked to Nagao before settling in their places: Shu behind the drums, Hiroto on the keyboard, Kazuhi with an electric bass, and Rendou with an electric guitar. The lights dimmed as Nagao yelled, "Action!"

* * *

"Why are all the talented ones so rude?" Momoi repeated as they walked out of the gym. One of the assistants called them in the middle of one of Zelo's takes. The audio track had been pre-recorded, but they still needed multiple shots of them playing for the music video. There were murmurs of assent. Even if they didn't like the band's personalities, the Generation of Miracles couldn't deny their talent.

Kuroko lagged behind the group, observing the retreating figures. He always seemed to be chasing after them, didn't he? No, that's wrong. It wasn't like that anymore. _No,_ Kuroko mused, _not anymore._ Just as he quickened his pace to catch up, someone called him.

"Teru-chan," Rendou huffed. He was out of breath, probably because he ran to catch Kuroko before he left the gym. "What did you think?" he asked after his breathing evened.

"You're very good, Rendou-san," Kuroko complimented.

The wavy haired singer beamed. "Thanks! Did you get the song's reference?"

"Are you talking about the allusion to Wuthering Heights?"

"Yes! I'm glad you got it," the smile seemed stuck on his face. "I thought you might, after finding out you read a lot _."_

"I'm surprised you based your song off of that book. Is there a particular reason?"

Rendou shrugged. "Love story of a dark outsider who falls in love with a feisty bombshell and cries revenge against every obstacle that prevents him from being with her? Perfect song material."

"I see…" Kuroko said.

"So hey, did you get my number? I hid it in your pocket."

"Uhm, I'm sorry. I lost it." He hadn't seen it since that one scene and assumed Akashi had thrown it away.

Rendou looked dismayed. "Should I just type it into your phone?"

"Sorry, but it looks like we have to go," Midorima said from behind with a face and voice that sounded anything but apologetic. He tugged at Kuroko's arm and pulled him away, a perplexed Rendou left behind.

"Tetsu-kun! Are you okay?" Momoi touched his face and hair while she fretted.

"Are you kidding me, Kuroko?" Midorima reproved when they reached the rest of the group.

"What are you talking about?"

"Kurokocchi, that guy thinks you're a girl. Anything he says or does has ulterior motives. You _can't_ get close to him. He might end up being stalker!"

"I don't think Rendou-san is like that. He's a nice perso-" Aomine flicked him in the forehead.

"Idiot. We're telling you not to trust him."

"Tetsuya, your lack of self-preservation is appalling."

Murasakibara finished a bag of chips. "Kuro-chin, I don't think you should go anywhere without us anymore~"

Kuroko frowned. He could slip out of their sight anytime if he used misdirection. When he wasn't dressed up of course. Still, Kuroko couldn't figure out why they were still treating him like some helpless child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kite Runner: have not read yet, semi-analysis dialogues from schmoop
> 
> Wuthering Heights: have read, like the story, hate the characters. *when he says "I cannot live without my life/soul," he's referring to Catherine. She was his life and soul
> 
> Henry Cavill. That is all.


	13. Chapter 13

"So, how did the filming for the music video go?" Masamune asked while pouring a cup of tea. An incredibly rough cut of the mv played on his computer screen without audio.

Momoi accepted the offered tea and sighed, "It went well until one of those guys from Zelo started hitting on Tetsu-kun."

"Really?" The corner of Masamune's mouth quirked up. "What happened?"

"The lead singer made an excuse to come for the last day of filming and distracted everyone! During filming, there were a bunch of fans making so much noise, and when they _weren't_ filming, he kept trying to talk to Tetsu-kun!" Momoi sighed again before having a sip of tea. She thought back to how everyone glared at Rendou whenever he approached, and their brusque replies when he tried making conversation. "In the end, security had to keep the fans away, although Rendou-san stayed."

"I see," Masamune said while tapping his fingers on the desk. That explains the tabloids Natashou showed him – with much raging on her part. _Lead Singer of Zelo in Love with a Co-star, Rendou Visits Set on Day-Off,_ and headlines to that effect. "But he didn't find out anything, right?"

"Thankfully, no. He really thinks Tetsu-kun is a girl, and that's what worries me." Momoi shook her head and set down the teacup. "Oh, the costume designers were kind enough to give me their measurements. Did you get the email?"

"Yes, thank you. It will save us time for a tux fitting. I'm glad they remembered your's too." He closed the video and opened his email in a different window.

"I was going to ask about that. Why do you need my measurements too?"

"For your dress of course," Masamune said as if it were obvious. He rotated the screen towards her to show a sketch Kuroko and Momoi's dresses.

Momoi leaned forward. "Wow, they're so pretty!"

"Indeed. Yuna-san was raving about them." _After she chewed me out over the articles…_ he added inwardly. "Anyway," he rotated the screen back, "Let's go over the schedule for the day of the party, shall we?"

* * *

"Are you seriously hung up over that chick?" Shu asked.

Rendou sighed dreamily and sank into the couch of the recording studio. "Dude, I think I'm in love. She's cute, pretty, and into all my favorite books..."

"There's something off about her, man."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Even if you ignore the harem around her, there's definitely something weird."

"Like what?" Rendou challenged, his face contorting in annoyance.

Shu tilted his head and shrugged. "Have you seen the tabloids?" Kazuhi tossed a magazine across the table with an image of Rendou and Terumi talking to each other in the middle of the film set. "I saw some articles online too. Your fans are heartbroken."

But Rendou looked pleased. He grabbed the magazine and skimmed through it, humming all the while. "We even _look_ great together."

Kazuhi scoffed and leaned back in his seat, "You didn't even get her number. There's no chance with those bodyguards around."

This was true. No matter what Rendou tried that day, one of those guys always did something to keep her away. Over the past few days he'd tried devising ways to 'accidentally' bump into her during a photoshoot or event, but to do that he'd have to contact her agency, and he couldn't possibly come up with a reasonable excuse to get one of their model's private schedules. He considered lying and saying he was some big name company looking to hire Terumi, but that was borderline psychotic and stalker-ish and the last thing he wanted to do was scare her away. There was also the option of asking his manager to contact their manager, but then her harem would know about it and definitely shut him down. Rendou groaned and threw the magazine in Kazuhi's face. "You suck."

"You really want to see her again?" Hiroto asked upon walking into the studio.

"She's ssooooo cccuutttteee~" Rendou whined, stuffing his face into one of the couch cushions. "I just wanna get to know her more."

Hiroto sat at the table and rested his head on his fist. "What if I told you they're going to an exclusive party, and I have a means of getting invited?"

* * *

Kagami absentmindedly tapped his pencil to the tune of a song in his head. They were in class, and he wasn't paying attention to the teacher's lesson – as usual. Instead, he glanced over his shoulder to see Kuroko diligently taking notes. The phantom player looked calm despite the ominous summons Riko gave him earlier. When the bell rang, Kagami turned to Kuroko, "What do you think coach wants with you?"

Kuroko shrugged, "I don't know." Actually he had the faintest impression that it had to do with the recently released music video, but he wasn't too sure.

"Hah… well whatever." He turned back to his desk and continued humming the song stuck in his head.

"Kagami-kun," Kuroko said behind him, "is that– "

"Kuroko!" Hyuuga called from outside the classroom. "What did you do to Riko?"

Kuroko rose and walked to the door, "What are you talking about, Hyuuga-senpai?"

"She was holding her phone and crying, and when I asked what's wrong she just threw it at me saying it's your fault," he said rubbing his head.

"I'm sorry. She said she wanted to talk to me later, but I'm not sure what she wants either."

"What? Coach is crying?" By this time, Kagami came up to hear what was going on.

"I think I know what happened," Kiyoshi appeared by Hyuuga's side. "It's because she watched your music video," he said to Kuroko.

"My music video?" he asked tilting his head to the side.

"Something about it being really sad, and..." Kiyoshi presented a magazine, "the tabloids saying you have a boyfriend."

"Why would that make her sad?" Kagami asked, looking over Kuroko's shoulder at the magazine.

Kiyoshi scratched his cheek, "No, this part made her angry."

"Great." Hyuuga lightly karate chopped Kuroko's head. "I hope she doesn't double practice because of this," he said before going back to his classroom. Kiyoshi waved before following behind.

"So…" Kagami said slowly, "It seems like you have a boyfriend." He plucked the magazine from Kuroko's hands and turned to a picture of Rendou talking to Teru-chan on the set of their music video.

"He's not my boyfriend," Kuroko said firmly before sitting back in his seat.

Kagami skimmed the article. "That's not what this says."

"Well it's not true," he maintained. Kuroko took out his notes and made as if studying them.

Seirin's ace gave his shadow a glance before leaning against the windowsill and humming low, " _Heaven wouldn't take you. You broke your heart crying to come back down, so the angels led you out those gates and back to me."_

Kuroko looked up, "You _were_ singing that song."

"This article says they think this Rendou guy wrote these lyrics with you in mind."

"Impossible. That was the first time I met him."

Kagami set down the magazine and pointed at the picture, "So you don't think this guy's suspicious?"

Kuroko frowned, "Rendou-san is a nice person. I don't know why everyone believes otherwise."

"So _those_ guys don't trust him either?" Kagami asked somewhat astonished. The bell rang and the teacher walked in. Kagami would have to wait until after class for a reply.

* * *

 _" _ _If you looked at me once with what I know you feel, then I would be your slave-_ "_ _Takao blared the music in Midorima's ear.

"Will you cut that out?!" Midorima yelled, shoving the phone away with a hand mirror.

Takao pouted, "Aww, why? It's a really good song." He turned up the volume.

" _Make the world stop. Make everything stand still and never move again. Make the moors never change, and you and I never change-"_ Midorima grabbed the phone and pressed the mute button.

The point guard sighed, "Kill-joy."

"It's stupid," Midorima said while changing into his practice clothes.

"What is?"

"Who gets immobilized and enslaved by just a look? It's ridiculous."

Takao raised an eyebrow, "Isn't that what happened in our match with Rakuzan?"

Midorima _urked._ "That's different! This song makes it sound like you could be so enraptured by someone that they could control everything about you."

Takao changed into his practice clothes too. "It happens."

"What are you talking about?"

"You can like someone to the point that a mere glance can send shivers down your spine."

"That's idiotic."

Takao stepped on the locker room bench to stand above Midorima. Using his height advantage, he grabbed the shooting guard's face and directed it towards him, "Hey, Shin-chan, don't tell me you've never had a crush before."

Eyes widening and a blush creeping up his neck, Midorima swatted Takao's hands away. "Never."

Takao grinned, "Ehh… you're being really tsundere right now. Did you think of someone when I said that?"

"I did _not_!" Midorima closed his locker, a little too forcefully, and left for the gym, leaving Takao alone in the locker room.

" _ _If you looked at me once with what I know you feel, then I would be your slave-_ "_

* * *

" _I can't continue like this, reminding myself to breathe, reminding my heart to beat…"_ Himuro sang softly in the empty classroom. He just couldn't get the song out of his head. It was good, to put it mildly, the vocals, instrumentals, and the lyrics especially. To top it off, the music video had been superbly directed to provoke the heartbreaking emotions it conveyed. Apparently there were a lot of people –girls in particular- lamenting over the sadness of the music video. It was catharsis at its finest really.

"Muro-chin?" Murasakibara ducked down under the doorway. "What are you still doing here?"

Himuro looked up. "Sensei asked me to organize some of the class files."

"I see…" he said, chewing down a Pocky stick. "Ne, were you singing that song from the music video?"

He smiled, "It's stuck in my head. I like it."

"How about me? I was good too, wasn't I?" Murasakibara pulled up a chair and sat down.

Himuro shuffled the test papers. "Yes, you were good too," he said patiently. "All of you did really well, actually. It didn't look awkward at all." Usually it's a little embarrassing to watch non-actors act, but the Generation of Miracles didn't seem to have any of that self-consciousness.

Murasakibara lifted his shoulders. "Nagao-san made it so we weren't really acting."

Himuro remembered Murasakibara looming over Kuroko. "So do you usually look at Kuroko-kun like that?"

"Hmm? Like what?"

 _Softly, sweetly, like someone who's presence alone is enough to make you smile…_ "Like you want to eat him."

"Eehh~ I used to want to crush Kuro-chin, is that the same?"

Himuro chuckled, "No, not really. Come on, let's go to practice." He gathered up the rest of the papers and moved to leave.

Murasakibara chewed another Pocky stick. "Muro-chin, sometimes when I see Kuro-chin, I think I really do want to eat him. What does that mean?"

The pretty boy turned to give him a look with his uncovered eye, "Well, that means you like him, doesn't it?"

* * *

"Kasamatsu-sempai?" Kise called out. Moriyama told him he should be in the music room…

" _How can you stand beside me pretending not to remember? Not to know that my heart is breaking for you-"_ sang a voice he recognized. Kise followed the sound to a music room. There, he saw Kasamatsu in one of the chairs, singing and strumming a guitar in his hands. "- _that your face is the light burning in all this darkness._ _"_

"Wow is that the song from the music video?" Kise whistled impressed.

His captain looked up and lowered the guitar. "Yeah it transcribes really well for the guitar. Do you need something?"

"Moriyama-sempai told me to give this to you." Kise handed him the folder with exam study materials.

"Ah, thanks," Kasamatsu said, taking the folder. He glanced up at Kise. "Is there something else?"

Kise blinked, was he that obvious? "Uhm... no?"

Kasamatsu unslung the guitar strap and placed it back in its case. "Did something happen with Kuroko-kun?"

"How did you know?"

His sempai shrugged. "That seems to be the case with you these days. So, have you figured out your feelings?"

Kise looked away, a faint blush tinting his cheeks. "Y-yeah."

"And?"

"And what?"

Kasamatsu raised an eyebrow, "You're not going to do anything about it?"

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do!" Kise blurted out. "He's my friend, and a guy on top of that! I never thought I'd like him like this, and now I don't even know how to act in front of him."

"You've had girlfriends before."

"Kurokocchi's different!"

"In what way? Besides the obvious."

"Because he- I-" _He's not someone I want to lose. "_ He'd never like me the same way."

Kasamatsu placed his chin on his hand. "You're usually so confident. Why're you scared all of a sudden? You'll never know what'll happen unless you tell him."

Kise didn't say anything. He still needed time to think. If he really did like Kuroko in that way, then what? The strums of guitar strings interrupted his thoughts. Kasamatsu had picked up his guitar again. Kise watched admiringly as Kasamatsu plucked the strings to create a sweet melody. After a few more moments of observing, he asked, "Can I try, Kasamatsu-sempai?"

He finished the verse before handing his guitar over. "Bastard, go die," Kasamatsu grumbled as soon as he saw Kise mimicking his playing exactly.

"Will you teach me how to play?" Kise asked when he finished playing what he copied.

"What's the point of learning from me? You'll probably learn better from online videos."

Kise frowned, "I don't think it works like that… And I'd rather learn from you!"

Kasamatsu sighed. He still had entrance exams to worry about. Then again, it wouldn't take much time to teach Kise how to play. "Is there a reason for this sudden interest?"

Kise beamed, "I have an idea."

* * *

" _I didn't break your heart. You broke it yourself. But in doing so, you broke mine-"_ Akashi's father stopped the video at the part where Akashi's head rested on Kuroko's lap.

"Care to explain this?" He folded his hands in front of him and leaned back in his chair.

Akashi stood in front of the desk and kept his eyes steady, "It's nothing, father. A simple amusement, nothing more."

"An amusement?" he asked coolly. "You play basketball on the basis that it exercises physical and intellectual skill. This incorporates neither of those. Who will take you seriously when you inherit this company if you are doing such frivolous activities?"

Crimson and gold heterochromatic eyes didn't waver for an instant. "That's precisely why I'm doing this, father. Through this, I'll be able to expand our influence to companies outside our usual network."

The head of the household narrowed his eyes, "There are no organizations in this field that could benefit us."

"With all do respect, the entertainment business plays a crucial role to the economy in this day and age. It would not be disadvantageous to explore our options."

His father leaned forward to rest his chin on his hands. There were different, better ways to expand into the entertainment business than what his son had suggested. But he did present his case decently. "Very well. You may continue with this _amusement,_ so long as it does not interrupt your more important duties."

Akashi lowered his eyes. "Yes, father." He inclined his head and left the office.

* * *

" _You're more me than myself. Whatever souls are made of, yours and mine are the same-"_

"Will you stop playing that?!" Aomine yelled after making a lay-up.

"And give up this chance of making fun of you? No way!" Wakamatsu called back, getting the rebound and running down the court.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Sakurai repeated after catching Wakamatsu's pass and aiming for a shot. "I'll go turn it off!" he exclaimed.

Imayoshi stopped him before he could turn off the iPod. "No don't do that. It's great to watch Aomine get embarrassed." Susa nodded in agreement beside him.

Aomine gave him a death glare. "And Satsuki!" he turned to his childhood friend. "Stop giggling over there and watching that video on repeat!"

Said childhood friend was on the stage, lying on her stomach and laptop in front of her. She stuck out her tongue. "No way. I'm figuring out how to make gifs of this video so I can put all my favorite clips of Tetsu-kun in my digital database!"

Aomine groaned. They were all against him. "Uhm- Aomine-kun," Sakurai ventured.

"What?" he said, slightly inching away. Ever since he walked in on them, he didn't know how to act with both Sakurai and Wakamatsu. He couldn't look at either of them without thinking of those sounds he heard, made worse because they echoed so loudly in that locker room.

"Why don't you like the music video? I thought it was really cool- Ah! I'm sorry!" he said apologizing again.

Wakamatsu ruffled Sakurai's hair. "Idiot. Stop apologizing." Aomine almost gagged. Maybe it was because he was now aware of their relationship, but their less-than-subtle public displays of affection made him sick. He glanced at his former captain who was looking at the couple with the usual smirk on his face. Imayoshi must have known about it way before he did. "Sempai, what are you doing here anyway?" Wakamatsu asked, their scrimmage apparently on pause.

Imayoshi looked hurt. "Aww, I can't visit my cute kouhais without looking suspicious?"

"No," was Aomine's immediate reply.

"We need your autograph," Susa said.

Aomine blinked. "Hah?"

"Unfortunately, I owe someone a big favor, and they requested your autograph," Imayoshi sighed.

"Why don't they just ask him themselves?" Sakurai asked.

" ' _Aomine-kun is really intimidating. It's hard to approach him.' 'Momoi-san is too beautiful. We can't possibly compete with her!'_ Among other grievances."

"WE'RE _NOT_ DATING!" the childhood friends exclaimed in unison.

"Yes, but they don't see it as such. So," Imayoshi turned to Aomine, "Are you willing to help your sempai?"

Aomine _tched._ Of course he wasn't going to deny them. "What am I signing?"

Imayoshi grinned and presented a sharpie and a print from their previous Cerny photoshoot. Aomine recognized it as one of the photos that hadn't been published in the editorial and was only available in the online gallery. The person must have printed it out themselves. Kuroko lay on the plush rug, his hair a gleaming river against its velvety texture. Aomine lay beside him, one arm propping him up, the other tugging at the thin chain of diamonds around Kuroko's pale neck.

" _In my life I've dreamed dreams that stay with me ever after. They go through like wine through water altering the color of my mind-"_ the speakers continued to play.

In his course handwriting, Aomine signed his name. He looked again at the photo before returning it back to Imayoshi. "Hmm, I have half a mind to make you sign more of these so I can sell them for a profit," the former captain grinned.

Susa snorted. "Like you need something like that. You're too smart for small change."

"Play money never hurt anyone," he replied simply. After their sempais left, the Touou players resumed practice.

Momoi eyed her childhood friend before looking back at her screen and paused the video at the part where Aomine opened his eyes to see Kuroko.

" _But you are eternal, necessary. Always, always in my mind: not as a pleasure any more than I am to myself, but as myself."_

* * *

"Hey, Shige, what are you looking at?"

Ogiwara tilted his head while watching the music video playing on the store's display screen. "I think I know her," he said pointing to the girl in the video.

" _I won't let you rest as long as I'm alive,"_ sang the guitarist in the band.

His friend squinted his eyes. "Yeah? That's cool," he replied in a tone that sounded like he didn't believe him at all. "Come on, we'll be late."

" _Be with me always — take any form — drive me crazy. Just don't leave me in this abyss where I can't find you –"_

Ogiwara gave one last look at the screen. It showed a close up of sky-blue eyes gazing up at the viewer. "Yeah… let's go."

" _Unutterable – I_ _can't_ _live without my life. I_ _can't_ _live without my soul."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the lyrics are also adapted (in part or whole) from lines of Wuthering Heights.
> 
> this chapter is kinda short… I'm sorry… and I'm not usually a fan of songfics but I feel like I made this chapter into one. what am I doing.


	14. Chapter 14

Natashou Yuna sighed contentedly into her tea. "No matter how often I see it, I'll never get over how attractive men look in suits. Or in this case, tuxedos." She sat at the top of the staircase overlooking one of the galleries of the Dulcinea, an art museum featuring notable neoclassical works mainly from Spain. This museum had recently been built a few years prior and was already popular among the locals, attracting many tourists from all over Japan and the world. Masamune made an arrangement for the models to get ready on site so they wouldn't have to go through the trouble of paparazzi.

Below, assistants set up lights and furniture and helped five boys and two girls into hair and makeup. "Beautiful. Just beautiful. And their improvement is phenomenal!" She scrolled through her portrait shots of the GoM dressed in their wonderfully tailored tuxedos. "It's just too bad we couldn't go all out with the costumes for this party. Right, Kana?" Her assistant nodded and gave her the schedule. "Yes, let's get down to business," she said, taking her camera and trotting down the staircase that curled around the side of the decorative arts gallery.

Momoi greeted her at the bottom of the steps, "Hello, Natashou-san. It's nice to see you again." The photographer cast her eyes on a goddess. Momoi looked stunning in a dress of pastel mint that draped over the shoulders and fell in graceful ripples off her curves like those of Greek caryatids. When she inclined her head, Natashou saw that half of the long pink hair was tied up while the rest tumbled in waves down her back.

"Oh my," Natashou cooed, "You look lovely, Momoi-chan."

Momoi blushed. "Thank you very much... Uhm, Teru-chan isn't ready yet." She said gesturing to Kuroko sitting in the makeup chair with his normal clothes.

"That's fine." Natashou waved her hand dismissingly. "I want to take some pictures of the boys in pairs," she quickly looked over the five boys talking to each other in their seats before zeroing in on a set. "Oh, I'm loving that color scheme. Midorima-kun, Kise-kun!" They came over at their summons.

"Hi, Natashou-sensei," Kise greeted cheerily.

"Good afternoon," Midorima greeted.

"Hello, boys. We're going to take your photos now so come out to the veranda for a few shots will you?" They followed her out the large glass doors where she stood at an angle to the marble tiled terrace. Natashou opened her mouth to instruct them into position but stopped when she saw them posing on their own. Being the taller one, Midorima stood behind and leaned against the balustrade, looking away into the Dulcinea's garden area. Kise stood a bit forward, tucked his hands in his pockets, thumbs out, and tilted his chin down, keeping his gaze somewhere inside. The photographer smiled and began taking pictures. "Very nice, boys." Hearing this comment, Kise ran a hand to his hair and smirked at the camera. Taking the cue, Midorima lifted his head and gave the camera a patronizing glare. _Click. Click. Click._

Kise changed his position to lean against the balustrade too and angled his face towards his fellow model. "Midorimacchi, I haven't seen your lucky item of the day."

Midorima cast his gaze to something above the camera. "I'm wearing it," he said simply.

"Which is…?"

Sighing, Midorima unbuttoned his jacket and swept it back to tuck his hands in the pockets. "My lucky item today is a satin shirt. The designer found out and brought me one to wear." True to his word, Midorima's dress shirt was a pearl color with the shiny effect of satin. Coupled with the matte coral tie and ash grey tuxedo, he gave a more mellow impression than his usual uptight character.

"Ehh… that's not fair. Yours looks better than mine," Kise pouted. His own tux was a darker, charcoal grey over a white shirt and orange-gold bowtie. Contrary to his belief, the splash of color brought out the gold of his eyes and hair. He was the sun in a well-tailored tux.

Midorima shrugged, moving to stand in front of Kise and angled his body profile to the camera. "Naturally. I only deserve the best."

Kise rolled his eyes. "So wait, how're you going wear the mask later with your glasses on?"

Natashou snapped a few more photos. "It was a trade…" he mumbled.

"What?"

"I could only wear the shirt if I agreed to put on contacts."

Kise tilted his head trying to understand. "Then," he said slowly, "why are you still wearing them?"

Midorima grimaced. "Like I would take off my glasses in front of you guys."

Amber eyes glittered with an idea. "That's silly, Midorimacchi," Kise said moving in front of him as if for another pose, "wearing both will ruin your eyes." Midorima barely had time to register Kise's sly grin before the glasses were swiped from his face.

"OI!" Midorima reached for them, but Kise kept his arm outstretched and far from the shooting guard's grasp. As Kise took another step back, he lost his footing and suddenly felt himself falling backwards.

"Are you and idiot?" Midorima growled after catching Kise's fall by keeping one hand on his back and swinging him up against the balustrade.

Kise blinked, suddenly aware of the close proximity between him and Midorima. He looked into the scowling face that hid the slightest touch of concern and then to Natashou's camera before grinning coyly. "Midorimacchi," he said, bringing his free hand up behind Midorima's head and pulling it closer, "you're so sweet," he hummed into his ear, which had turned a bright red, "thanks for catching me~" _Click. Click. Click._

"…!" Midorima violently pulled away and was reduced to incoherent exclamations of disbelief and annoyance and other utterings that made the one hundred ninety-five centimeter tall shooting guard positively comedic.

"Wonderful! I'm so happy to see your improvement from our last photoshoot. Go ahead and take a break." Natashou watched the teenagers walk back inside, Midorima attempting to take back his glasses and Kise laughing in obvious glee at Midorima's embarrassment. Next up she asked Akashi and Murasakibara to pose by the staircase. This time, she didn't offer instructions and allowed the models to pose on their own. Akashi took three steps up and leaned elegantly against the railing. Murasakibara opted to stay on ground level and placed his elbow on the granite volute. _Click. Click. Click._

"Ne, Aka-chin," Murasakibara drawled.

Akashi placed a hand on the banister and looked in his direction, "Yes, Atsushi."

"Muro-chin told me I like Kuro-chin. Is that true?"

"Hmm…?" His former captain tipped his head slightly, "What made him say that?"

Murasakibara fingered the obsidian cufflinks on his sleeves. "I just said that sometimes I feel like I want to eat him."

Akashi tucked a hand in his pocket and gazed down at the camera. _Click. Click. Click._ His ensemble consisted of black bowtie that matched the lapels of a midnight blue tuxedo. Very James Bond, the stylists had said. "That can't be right," Akashi said. "You were just hungry when you said that, weren't you? That doesn't mean you like Tetsuya."

"Is that right…" Murasakibara mumbled. He straightened up and lifted his head to look in a direction away from the camera. The stylists had tied his hair to the side and kept him in a classic black tuxedo with an ivory vest and bowtie. "If Aka-chin says so, then you must be right."

"Of course I am." _Click. Click. Click._

"Then… do I look at him funny?"

This time, Akashi turned his head to look down directly at Murasakibara. The giant stood tall and graceful at the foot of the staircase, his face in an expression of aloofness. Murasakibara was such a kid. His face told everything. Of course Akashi would notice if he looked at Kuroko differently. Lately… there was a flash of possessiveness in his violet eyes, like a child unwilling to share his favorite toy. The corners of Akashi's lips turned up, amused, "Whenever you see him, you think of food don't you? That's all it is."

"I see…" Murasakibara cast his gaze up to Akashi and reached out a hand. "Aka-chin, how're you and your dad?"

Akashi raised an eyebrow as Murasakibara's fingers grazed his chin. His limbs were long enough to reach him even in his elevated position. "We're doing alright," he replied politely, distantly. Akashi took Murasakibara's hand and lowered it back down. "How kind of you to ask." Murasakibara frowned at Akashi's aloof answer, but he knew he wouldn't be able to get much else out of his former captain.

"Thanks, boys!" Natashou lowered her camera. "Aomine-kun," she called next, "and…" Ah, since they were an odd number she'd need another one to go again, "Kise-kun!"

"I get to go a second time?" Kise grinned.

"Tsk. Why do I have to be partnered with you?" Aomine complained.

The golden child smirked, "Eh, is Aominecchi intimidated by my modeling skills?" He took a seat on the couch against the wall as directed by Natashou. "I definitely beat Midorimacchi earlier." Said person muttered curses from his chair. Kise kept a cool smirk to something above Natashou's head and crossed his legs like some high-class host.

"Like hell I am." Aomine plopped right down next to Kise, laid his arm on the back of the couch, and splayed out his legs like a delinquent. If anything, he was determined to "beat" Kise at this silly thing he was so proud of. Aomine's outfit was the only one that was all black save for the white bowtie. He made sure to keep his chin up to give the camera a haughty expression.

 _Oh, those poses really capture their personalities,_ Natashou thought as she snapped some pictures. "Could you boys try doing something a little more dynamic?" _It's a shame they don't smoke…_ There was something about the aesthetic of holding a cigarette she couldn't shake off, but Natashou wasn't brazen enough to make underage kids do it for the sake of a picture however tempting.

Aomine placed his hand on Kise's shoulder and leaned closer, keeping his eyes to something far away. Surprise flashed quickly in the gold eyes before Kise followed suit and shifted his gaze in the same direction as Aomine's. He saw Kuroko then. It was only a brief glance of a pink skirt and sky blue hair, but it was enough to make him want to call out the his name. Aomine had seen him too.

"Oi. Don't you think Tetsu's gotten pretty?" Aomine tried saying it casually.

Kise raised an eyebrow. _How strange…_ "Yeah. I've told him that multiple times," he grinned, "He looks better than most of the models I've worked with too, and that's saying something."

"Ugh, show-off," Aomine scowled. He resisted the urge to punch the blonde since they were in the middle of a shoot. "Seriously though, this cross-dressing shit is ridiculous."

Lowering his eyes, Kise leaned forward to adjust Aomine's tie. The power forward flinched back, startled at the sudden contact. _Click. Click. Click._ "I don't know what you're talking about, Aominecchi. Kurokocchi is beautiful even when he isn't dressed as a girl." Kise patted the tie when he finished adjusting it and stared directly at midnight blue eyes. "Aren't you just confused because he looks like your gravure models all of a sudden?"

Something about Kise's face at that moment really pissed him off. "He's _nothing_ like them," Aomine retorted, narrowing his eyes. "And I didn't know you swung that way, Kise."

The blonde shrugged and crossed his legs on the granite coffee table in front of them. "Unlike you, I can admire someone's looks without feeling my sexuality threatened." He shot Aomine another look with his gold eyes. "How about you though? I never thought you'd bat for the other team."

This time Aomine gripped Kise's chin and turned it towards him, "It's the same isn't it, 'admiring someone's looks'?"

What started as a careless comment turned into a tricky roundabout conversation. Aomine and Kise weren't certain of how serious the other's insinuations were, but neither was willing to back down.

"Not that I'm complaining," Natashou said slowly, "But let's keep it classy, alright?" The pose was suggestive and everything she always wanted between two handsome boys, but there was a tension that didn't feel quite right.

Kise's eyes weren't smiling anymore. It dawned on him that Aomine might feel the same way about Kuroko as he did. Kise jerked his chin away and fixed his shirt and bowtie. "Then you wouldn't mind if I made a move."

Cobalt eyes narrowed. "You're kidding."

"And if I'm not?"

"OKAY! THAT'S GREAT BOYS!" Natashou suddenly said. "You guys are getting so good at modeling. Your interactions have so much energy, ne?" So much energy indeed, she felt a definitive hostility emanating from the two teenagers. Aomine and Kise glanced at each other before getting up from the couch and strolling back to their makeup chairs.

"Everyone!" Momoi's voice cut through the room in delight. "Teru-chan's all ready!" Her eyes contained hearts. When she moved to the side to reveal Kuroko, everyone could see why. He was in a gown of pale coral that drifted airily as he walked. A sheer ivory layer draped his torso in a bodice, lending the boy an illusion of curves he didn't have, and cut to reveal half of his back thinly veiled by strings of crystals in a web-like pattern. The stylists swept his hair into a loose braided bun and let thin wisps of hair fall delicately on his face, and they painted it in a way that brought out the softness of his features.

"Breathtaking," Natashou sighed dreamily. "I love my job." She glanced quickly at her other models to see their reactions. Somehow, she thought, they'd gotten better at hiding their expressions. Thank goodness she knew better. Their eyes were wide, yes, and probably dilated. Kise had this small smile on his face. Aomine was scowling. Murasakibara had stopped chewing his candy bar. Midorima had clenched his jaw. Akashi only lowered his eyelids. "Ahh… if only we had more time to photograph all of you together," she said distractedly. "But since we don't, Kuroko-chan, Momoi-chan, the lounges please."

Momoi snapped out of her dream world. "Eh?"

"Come quickly, dear, you kids have to go soon."

"W-wait, me?" she asked in disbelief, though she followed Kuroko to the decorative lounge on one side of the room.

"Yes of course. You're all dolled up and you've not had your pictures taken. It'd be a terrible waste. Besides, this is an informal shoot so don't worry about it."

Momoi nodded dumbly and sat stiffly down on the chaise. _Wait, this is too much_ , she thought. She didn't know she'd be taking pictures with such a talented photographer and in a really fancy getup. _My heart's not ready!_

"Momoi-san." The corners of Kuroko's lips were turned up. "Why don't you lean on my shoulder?" She flushed immediately.

"E-Eh?! No, I couldn't possibly-"

"It's alright," Kuroko said, raising a hand to her temple. "It's for the sake of the pictures, isn't it? I always thought that Momoi-san would make a great model." He spoke so sincerely that Momoi flushed again. But this comment gave her confidence. If Tetsu-kun said it was possible, then it must be true, right? With her newfound courage, she allowed herself to lean against the love of her life and looked at the camera with her best model face.

"They look like a yuri couple," Kise said while watching their photoshoot.

Aomine scoffed, "You're just jealous."

Kise eyed him. "Look who's talking." At his point, Momoi had rested her head on Kuroko's lap, glossy pink hair tumbling on the sheer fabric of his dress.

"Aomine-kun, come take a picture with Momoi-chan," Natashou called.

"What?" the power forward exclaimed. "Why do I have to take pictures with her?" Momoi also had an unenthusiastic expression.

"Please don't be difficult, Aomine-kun," Kuroko said as he got up from the chaise. "I know your mother will appreciate it."

Aomine frowned, partly because there was truth in the statement. Ever since he started the whole modeling thing, his mom had been pestering him for pictures and bothering him as to why Satsuki wasn't included as well. "Fine."

"I would rather take more pictures with Tetsu-kun," Momoi pouted.

Kuroko softly brushed a strand of hair out of her face, "Don't say that. I'm sure you'll do better than Aomine-kun anyway."

"Oi!" said Aomine as he came forward and sat beside his childhood friend. "I'm good at this now, remember?"

"Of course you are," Kuroko said airily.

After some squabbles and when Natashou finally deemed the shots decent, she promptly announced, "It's time!"

Her assistants went to work taking down the equipment while Natashou ushered the teenagers out of the gallery. "I'll join you in awhile after everything's cleaned up, but don't forget what Tasuku told you. This is a super high-class party with lots of famous and/or affluent people in attendance so please be on your best behavior…" she continued to speak as she took them through the employee corridors of the museum that connected all the different galleries together, "Also, try to be sociable and meet with people. Tasuku and I will introduce you to some once we arrive, but it doesn't hurt to leave some good impressions before we do. I say this because this is a wonderful opportunity for potential work offers and campaigns and even runway jobs!" She opened the door into a smaller room that displayed small sketches and studies on its walls, and handed out everyone's masks. "For shame, for shame we couldn't go all out in this masquerade party. Cerny provided everyone uniform masks, and I'm not complaining because they're gorgeous, but I would have so loved if they matched your outfits." The masks were velvet, with a malleable material underneath that formed to fit the face of the wearer so there was no discomfort in keeping them on, and covered only the eyes. Each mask was dotted by semi-precious gemstones, an obvious design of Cerny Jewelers, white with black stones for boys, black with white stones for girls.

"Woah… legit," Aomine said, fitting the mask over his face.

"Do we get to keep these?" Kise marveled at the detail of their design.

"No way. They wouldn't let us have something this expensive," Midorima dismissed, brushing his fingers over the onyx stones.

Murasakibara whined, "This isn't something I can eat…"

"Tetsu-kun! How do I look?" Momoi asked once she slipped the mask on. "Eh? Tetsu-kun?" She turned her head trying to find him.

"I'm here, Momoi-san," he replied beside her. "You look very nice." His mask must have rendered his presence weak again.

Natashou guided them out of the small gallery and into a hallway leading to an ornate door. "Yes, you do get to keep them. Rich bastards give awfully wonderful party favors, and Murasakibara-kun, there's going to be a lot of food so don't ruin your mask. Okay," Natashou paused to take a breath. "Remember to keep in mind everything I've just said, but more importantly, enjoy yourselves!"

* * *

The main gallery of the Dulcinea was by far the largest and most extravagant, designed as an elaborate indoor Spanish garden underneath an atrium and populated by neoclassical statues situated throughout. A little smaller than half an American football field, the gallery was quadrisected diagonally by four main paths and converged at the center by an ornate fountain. One of the quadrants contained a stone pavilion that had counters loaded with all sorts of hors d'oeuvres and confectioneries and surrounded by large tables for guests to order meals from waiters. In the quadrant beside it, was a long reflecting pool bordered by bronze statues and ending in an open bar. The next quadrant over had a trail of steps leading to the second floor and an elevated terrace that overlooked the entire gallery. The guests themselves seemed well at home in such an environment, donned in well-tailored suits and tuxedos and expensive gowns with even more expensive jewelry, all with an air of sophistication and the upper-class.

"Is this still Japan…" Aomine muttered to no one in particular. Needless to say, the high schoolers felt utterly out of place in this extravagant environment. But at least they had each other… right?

Murasakibara immediately gravitated towards the pavilion of food, piled high with sweets he'd never seen before. "Oi, Murasakibara! Where are you going?" Midorima called out, but the purple haired giant was already gone.

Before anyone could follow, someone spoke up from behind, "Akashi Seijuro-san?" Akashi turned and paused for a moment trying to discern the elegant woman. "Oh!" she realized. The woman slipped off her mask and smiled apologetically.

Akashi recognized her then. "Soga-san, it's been a while," he said with a gentleman's charm.

"I didn't know you would be here," she said, fitting back her mask. "You look quite handsome tonight. Is your father here too?"

The captain maintained his pleasant face. "My appearance is nothing compared to yours, Soga-san. Unfortunately, it's only me tonight. Why don't I get you drink, and we can converse by the terrace?" he suggested.

"You're too kind. No, that's fine," Soga said waving her gloved hand. "I don't want to take you away from your friends."

"It's completely alright," Akashi insisted, looking over with an expression that said, _This is important business. Don't get into trouble_. "Shall we?" he said, offering his arm.

Soga slipped her hand in the crook of his elbow and giggled, "Always the gentleman, aren't you?"

As he led her away, Kise whistled inwardly, "Akashicchi's really something isn't he? Did you see how smooth he took care of that?"

"It shouldn't be a surprise. I bet he's used to this kind of stuff," Midorima said.

"Mm," Momoi agreed, "He probably goes to parties like this all the time."

"I'll give her an eight and a half for the face, but three for the boobs. _OW-!"_

Momoi elbowed him in the gut. "Neanderthal," she mumbled under her breath. "But apart from that, Tets- Teru-chan, will you walk around with me? I want to see all the artwork." Momoi's eyes glittered. She was awestruck by the beauty and grandeur of everything she thought it might be a dream. Surely her Tetsu-kun would appreciate the fine arts as well?

Kuroko smiled, "That sounds great, Momoi-san. I want to see them too." Momoi's face could not be any happier.

"Where're you guys going?" Aomine asked as Momoi moved to take Kuroko's arm.

She stuck out her tongue. "You guys can't come," she said before dashing in the direction of the marble sculptures. A sweet melody drifted in from somewhere in the garden.

Midorima coughed into his hand. "I'm going," he said before setting off as well, leaving Aomine and Kise alone together.

Their conversation from earlier still lingered between them awkwardly. Aomine rubbed the back of his neck. "That thing you said earlier… Were you serious?" He looked away.

Kise regarded him carefully before saying, "Aominecchi, do you remember what I said before?" When Aomine didn't respond, he continued, "I told you I wasn't mature enough to suppress my instincts to play basketball. This is the same. I'm not mature enough to hand Kurokocchi over just because you like him too."

"I don't li-!" Aomine spun around to meet Kise's cold expression.

 _You do,_ he didn't say. _I know you do._ Their eyes were locked in a staring contest before Kise rolled his in the direction of where Kuroko and Momoi went.

"So… What now?"

* * *

Midorima headed towards the sound of a piano playing a familiar song. The last quadrant had flowering trees that obscured a large gazebo. When it came in view, Midorima saw thick vines climbing up and on top of the structure so that its original color was nearly indiscernible. The vined gazebo fit a grand piano, and playing the instrument was a handsome man moving with the music, engrossed in the song. His hair was startlingly white, so much so he could have been mistaken for an old man if not for his youthful complexion. Midorima walked into a crowd of other onlookers who had gathered to watch the beautiful man and his beautiful playing. But despite the number of people, the pianist opened his eyes to look directly at Midorima. It lasted only a second as his concentration returned to the piano. Still, Midorima saw under the mask that his eyes were red. Red in a different way from Akashi's, even that idiot Kagami's. They were red like... blood. Unsettling imagery, yet Midorima couldn't pull his gaze away, or move for that matter.

The pianist finished his concerto with a flourish and bowed to the applause of his audience. He walked out of the gazebo to a crowd but gently waved them off to approach the shooting guard. "Hello," he greeted simply.

"That was a medley of Claire de Lune and Moonlight Sonata, wasn't it?" Midorima asked when the pianist stood before him. He was a head shorter than the basketball ace, older and more refined. Midorima had no idea why the pianist chose him of all people as a conversation partner, but there was something familiar about him...

The pianist smiled, "Indeed. You seemed the type to recognize it. Join me for a drink?" he asked gesturing to the bar.

"No, I'm not old enough," Midorima refused politely.

"Ah," the man smiled pleasantly and plucked two glasses from a passing waiter's tray, "cider then." Midorima wanted know who he was, but somehow he felt like a child in this man's presence and unable to formulate coherent questions.

"I'm Midorima Shintarou," he introduced, accepting the offered drink.

The pianist raised his glass, "Nagisa Kaworu."

It clicked. "You were in the Evangelion movies," he said. The movies came out when they were still in grade school, a series of large-scale mecha films famed for their realistic portrayal of human emotions and performances by a young cast.

"So you do recognize me." Kaworu took a sip from his glass. "I've been following your group's work. Yuna-san did a photoshoot for us awhile back as well."

More connections clicked in Midorima's head. "She was in charge of your EVA campaign back when I was in middle school."

"That's the one. Tell me, is Yuna-san still as loud as I remember her to be?"

"Perhaps more so."

Kaworu chuckled, "She's certainly a character."

Midorima adjusted his glasses to hide his embarrassment. Nagisa Kaworu had been one of his childhood heroes. To have the man in front of him and conversing so casually was incredibly nerve-wracking. He should have been prepared for this actually. Oha-Asa warned he would have a star fated encounter today, though he didn't think it would be so literal. "Nagisa-san, may I ask why you're talking to me?"

Kaworu tilted his head, amusement in his red eyes. "Am I bothering you?"

"N-no!" Midorima faltered. "I'm just wondering because there were some people who looked like they wanted to talk to you."

"Oh them?" Kaworu glanced over. "They're not an stimulating lot to converse with, I promise you. It's far more interesting to meet a new face."

"I see…" the shooting guard took a sip from his drink.

"There is something I wanted to ask _you_ , actually." The pianist swirled the glass in his hands.

"Sure," Midorima said a little too quickly.

Kaworu smiled pleasantly again, "About that girl you model with, Kuroko Terumi."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't consider this a crossover because it's not a story centered around those characters. Rather I'm using them as plot devices because I don't wanna write OCs and they kinda fit perfectly in this au so yeaa 'EVA campaign' mentioned in chapter 3


	15. Chapter 15

"What do you need to know about Kuroko?" Midorima asked.

Kaworu's eyes danced in mirth. "No, don't be suspicious. I assure you my inquiries are strictly professional."

"Any questions regarding jobs should be directed towards our manager or agent," he replied stiffly.

"Oh, but surely you are more suited to answer my questions." When Midorima replied with a stare, Kaworu continued, "How would Kuroko-san feel participating in a photoshoot with someone else? The tenth anniversary of the  _Evangelion_  movies is coming up. If you paid attention to the tabloids awhile back, you would know one of our leading ladies has gone abroad for personal reasons and refuses to come back. I'm sure you can imagine the difficulty of finding someone with that natural hair-color."

"Her contract clearly states she can't model without the rest of the group."

"Hmm... I was hoping that clause had some flexibility," Kaworu hummed into his glass. Finding another model and putting a wig on them wouldn't be the end of the world, but the producer of the movies, Ikari Gendo, was particular of who he wanted for the anniversary promos.

"Assuming the entire cast would be replaced, isn't it difficult to find someone with your hair-color as well?" Midorima asked.

"Yes, I suppose." Kaworu tilted his head. "Still, a natural bluenette isn't something to pass up when it's so impossibly rare."

Kaworu kept silent for a few moments, his mind preoccupied with thoughts. Midorima shifted in his spot, unsure of how to act in this situation. Should he just excuse himself and leave? He opened his mouth to say so before Kaworu interrupted him.

"Well, there's nothing more I can do. Midorima-san," he said, placing down his glass. "Come, let's play a duet." Kaworu walked back towards the gazebo with the piano, and that's when Midorima noticed there were actually two instead of just the one he saw Kaworu playing previously.

Midorima, like most pianists, itched to play the instrument whenever it was in front of him. So naturally, seeing the grand piano all pristine and inviting made his bandaged fingers tingle. The challenge of an impromptu duet was also an exciting prospect, especially with a gifted musician. Then again, he still wasn't sure of Nagisa Kaworu's motives and whether or not he should be weary.

Kaworu grinned when he saw the teenager tense and conflicted. "Is that a yes?"

Making up his mind, Midorima pushed up his mask (because he forgot he wasn't wearing glasses), and followed the strange, mysterious, silver-haired man to the pianos. "Yeah."

* * *

"It really is surprising to see you here, Akashi-kun. I wouldn't expect to see you in this sort of party," Soga said, sipping wine. Her voice was kind and held the caring tone of an older sister.

"It's nothing surprising, Soga-san. I was invited and decided to attend," he replied.

She smiled into her glass. "Is that so?"

Akashi could hear the apprehension in her voice. "Do you attend these parties often as well?"

"I used to, yes. The reason I'm here today is because my old high school friends insisted we make an appearance." Soga touched her chin delicately. "Akashi-kun, you seem distracted. Is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," he said a fraction of a second too quickly.

Soga chuckled into her hand. "Ah, you have a cute side after all. I'm glad. Even a mature student like you should have fun sometimes. I remember making such lovely memories in high school."

Akashi touched his temple and angled his face away. "I'm not..."

"This entire conversation you've been looking towards the gallery. I don't believe I'm wrong to think someone else is keeping your attention." She smiled teasingly at Akashi's very subtle frown-turned-pout. "You remind me of someone I knew in high school. Always acting cool and collected, but so obviously preoccupied if anyone bothered to notice. If he's ever around I  _must_  introduce you two. I feel like you would get along splendidly. Oh- would you look at my husband. He's gotten stuck talking to Kuze-san again. Excuse me. I must rescue him. Give my regards to your father," she said, leaving his side. But before heading down the staircase in the direction of her husband, Soga looked back up. "It's a party, Akashi-kun. Don't forget to enjoy yourself."

Akashi inclined his head goodbye. Distracted, huh? He toiled on the terrace for a few moments longer, watching the party below. He was confident in his conversation skills and never questioned his ability to hold his own against an adult. But occasionally there had to be one person who would remind him exactly just how old he was and leave him at a loss for words. Akashi placed his unfinished drink on a passing waiter's tray and left the terrace.

* * *

Momoi's eyes glittered. This gallery was the fairytale image little girls could only dream of. The beauty and grandeur of the architecture and fine art really felt like an escape away from the everyday life that Momoi knew. She turned to Kuroko. "Teru-chan, aren't these statues beautiful?" she asked, gesturing to the marble figures lining the pond.

Kuroko nodded. He wasn't as enraptured as Momoi was but could certainly appreciate the aesthetic value of the gallery's fine art pieces. One statue made him pause and give it a longer moment's consideration. "Hero Mourning Over Leander," he read aloud.

"Hmm?" Momoi stopped to examine the sculpture as well. It featured the dead body of a man in the arms of a distressed woman holding a torch. Intricately carved waves lapped at a man's sides as if cut straight from the myth. It was beautiful, she admited, but not unlike the other statues along the pond featuring the revived Greek ideals of beauty from lithe nymphs to mythic heroes. Momoi looked up to ask Kuroko why this particular one interested him before doing a double take.

Was that?  _No, they couldn't be here... but..._  Momoi squinted her eyes to make sure they weren't playing tricks with her. To her dismay, her rose-colored eyes worked perfectly fine. Coming through the main entrance of the gallery were the members of Zelo.  _What are they doing here?_  she frowned. Masamune said this was an invitation-only party, and Momoi didn't remember seeing Zelo on the list.

Momoi glanced at Kuroko who was still reading the statue's plaque.  _What am I going to do? I don't want them to meet._  She turned back to Zelo and inwardly groaned to see that Shu was walking towards her. Momoi decided to act quickly.  _Tetsu-kun's unnoticeable again thanks to the mask..._   _but that illusion will shatter as soon as he says something_. She had to keep him away. "Teru-chan, can you get a Shirley Temple? I've always wanted to try one!" This was an incredibly selfish request, but it was for an important cause.

"Sure," he said after reading statue description. "I'll come back then."

"Thank you," she said smiling as Kuroko walked to the direction of the bar. Momoi patted her cheeks to get over the sweetness that was Kuroko acting like a complete gentleman despite his appearance for the evening. Maybe one day they could come back on another date during regular museum hours... Momoi briefly fell into a daydream of walking alongside her Tetsu-kun throughout the museum's lavish gardens before she heard a voice behind her.

"Yo! Momoi-chan right?"

The basketball/model manager recovered from the sweet daydream to give her best, slightly strained, professional smile. "Yes. Hello, Shu-san." Actually, there wasn't anything wrong with Kuroko meeting the members of Zelo. But she had a gut feeling that really wanted to keep her Tetsu-kun away. She rationalized that it was because they (and by they she meant Rendou) were genuinely interested, way too interested, in getting to know him, and that led to the risk of exposure. If anything, she was not going to let a guy's little crush ruin Kuroko's basketball. Never, ever, ever, not while she could help it.

"So how are you enjoying the party so far?" Shu asked.

"Well I was looking at the sculptures until you came along."

"Oooh, what a cold response. Whatever did I do to deserve such harsh treatment?" Shu fake swooned.

Momoi bristled. "You insulted my friends and think I would be okay with that?"

"Whoa, chill out. It was just a joke." Shu came closer with every sentence, and Momoi took a step back every time. Shu sighed, "Come on, I'm not gonna hurt you or anything. You don't have to be so scared."

"I'm not scared." Great. She sent Kuroko away because she didn't want Shu to talk to him and maybe pry where he wasn't supposed to, but how was she going to get out of this distasteful situation?

"Then why do you keep moving away?"

"There's this thing called personal space. I don't think you understand the concept."

"Is it wrong to want to be closer to a beautiful lady?"

"It's wrong if the lady refuses your advances," a smooth voice cut in.

"Akashi-kun!" Momoi said relieved.

Shu straightened himself and looked annoyed. "Hello, again." He remembered the creepy heterochromatic supposed leader of the modeling group.

"Good evening," Akashi returned coolly before turning to Momoi. "Masamune-san has arrived and wants to speak with you. Shall we go?"

"Oh! Yes of course!" Momoi responded enthusiastically as if this was a most important matter. She tilted her head in goodbye to Shu.

When they were well away, she breathed a sigh of relief. "Wow, it's a good thing Masamune-san came when he did. Do you know what he needs to talk to me about?"

Akashi raised an eyebrow, "He's not here."

Momoi looked at him puzzled, "Then why did you say...?"

"I thought you understood I was saying that to take you away. Or was I wrong?"

Momoi opened her mouth, then closed it, then blushed when she realized Akashi had rescued her from that uncomfortable conversation. "You weren't wrong… Thank you," she said into her hand, trying in vain to hide her embarrassment. This really reminded her of how he was in Teikou.

Akashi shrugged, "It's nothing."

Somehow the gesture made Momoi giggle.

"Is something wrong?" Akashi inquired.

"No, I was just thinking how cool you are, Akashi-kun."

It was Akashi's turn to look away. "Wasn't Tetsuya with you?"

Momoi sighed, "Yeah, but I asked him to get me a drink so he wouldn't meet up with Shu-san. I don't know where he went though."

"Good call," Akashi hummed, scanning the gallery for the phantom player.

* * *

"Momoi-san?" Kuroko called out. He had returned to where Momoi should have been along the reflecting pool, but didn't see her anywhere.  _Where did she go...?_ He moved to look elsewhere when something bumped into him. Kuroko quickly maneuvered himself so as not to spill the drinks.

"Watch where you're going!" A small voice cried. "Where did you come from anyway?"

Kuroko looked down to see a little girl with her hands on her hips and her face in an indignant pout. "I'm sorry. I didn't see you there." He set down the drinks on a nearby table to take the girls hands and kneel down. "Are you okay?"

The little girl raised an eyebrow, curious about the lady. She came out of nowhere! "I'm fine. Sorry I bumped into you."

Kuroko smiled encouragingly. "That's alright. Are you lost?"

The girl shook her head. "I know this place really well. My family owns it."

Kuroko didn't know what to say. The little girl was impeccably dressed and spoke confidently enough that he couldn't really dispute the claim. "Wow, that's amazing," he managed.

"I know, right?" the little girl said, tossing her auburn hair. The action made one of her butterfly pins clatter onto the terracotta tiles.

"Here, let me get that for you." Kuroko picked up the delicately crafted butterfly hairpin and offered it back.

The girl looked at the pin but didn't take it. "Will you fix my hair?" she asked.

Kuroko smiled gently, "Sure."

She stared at Kuroko as he brushed his fingers through her short hair to secure the pin back in place. "Nee-san, what do you think of my dress?" she asked when he finished.

Kuroko tilted his head at the surprise question. "It looks really cute on you." he replied, "Especially how the details match your eyes." They were a bright hazel, almost amber color under the light, and her dress was decorated with similarly colored embroidery.

"You remind me of someone," she said suddenly.

"Is that good thing?"

The girl nodded. "Yeah. She's one of my favorite people. Do you dress like a boy too?"

Kuroko was taken aback. What did she mean? Was his cover blown? He had been so careful to structure his speech properly and keep his voice in check.

"Never mind. It doesn't matter. Thanks for your help nee-san!" She gave Kuroko a quick peck on the cheek before darting off in another direction.

 _That was interesting,_  Kuroko thought, wandering around the gallery again in search of Momoi, or at least someone else he knew. He made it into the quadrant of orchard trees and came upon a large dance floor bordered by lights and flowers. The live band was playing acoustic renditions of popular songs and many guests were dancing to the music. _  
_

"Ayanami-san?" Kuroko turned around at the touch of his arm to see a masked man with a strange expression. "Oh you're not- I'm so sorry. Excuse me. I thought you were- um-" the man fumbled with his hands before seeming to make up his mind, "Please excuse me, I thought you were someone else." The man was apologetic and a little... disappointed.

"That's alright," Kuroko returned. He was surprised the man noticed him at all.

"I'm Ikari Shinji." He introduced himself. Ikari Shinji was a man of medium height and slender build with a kind, boyish face that Kuroko found oddly familiar despite the mask.

"Kuroko Terumi," Kuroko replied, inclining his head.

Shinji nodded in recognition, "Ah yes, you seemed familiar. Kuroko Terumi-san, the lovely and mysterious new model everyone's been talking about lately."

Kuroko looked down, slightly taken aback by the compliment. "That's a little bit of an exaggeration..."

The man spoke politely, "I don't think so. If anything it was an understatement."

Unable to come up with a reply, Kuroko just said, "Thank you."

"Well, enjoy the rest of the party, Kuroko-san." Shinji bowed slightly and left to some other part of the gallery.

* * *

Unsure of what to do, Aomine and Kise awkwardly made their way to the dining quadrant of the gallery. The best way to fill awkward silences was by stuffing your face right? Maybe.

"You're not serious are you?" Kise finally asked, breaking the silence.

Aomine scratched the back of his neck. "I don't know. I mean– I can't figure it out. But the thought of you going out with him seriously pisses off."

Kise rolled his eyes. "Likewise."

A spell of silence again. Luckily, it was broken by one familiar Murasakibara. "Eh? Kisechin, Minechin, what are you doing here? Well, that doesn't matter. Have you tried the desserts? They're really delicious." He proved his point by placing down a plateful of fancy-looking pastries and proceeded to eat them one by one with very large and very satisfied bites. Aomine and Kise could only stare in amazement twinged with disgust.

"Where does that food go...?" Kise mumbled. He felt sick just looking at the empty plate of sweets the giant just consumed.

"Alright, Murasakibara. I have a question for you."

"What is it?" he asked, licking some leftover crème off his fingers.

"If you knew another person liked the person you like, what would you do?"

Murasakibara furrowed his eyebrows. The question sounded confusing, and he didn't want to think of annoying things after just enjoying his delicious pastries. "I don't know... I'd just make that person mine and not worry about it."

"But what if you and the other guy are friends?" Kise asked. He purposefully did not meet Aomine's eyes when asking this question because the status of their friendship had turned gray since middle school.

The giant furrowed his eyebrows again. "I feel like it doesn't matter what those guys do because ultimately it's up to the girl to decide. If she doesn't like either of them then it's not like they can change her mind. That's selfish."

Aomine and Kise both stared at him. It was a really mature-sounding answer coming from the overgrown man-child. He didn't offer any more input though, and got up to get more sweets from the dessert table, or order more food, or both.

"So that's it then." Kise sighed.

"What?"

"We let Kurokocchi decide."

"You really plan on confessing?" Aomine frowned. He didn't think Kise would act so soon.

Kise fixed his golden eyes to Aomine's cobalt ones. "Aominecchi, you just said you don't know if you're serious about him. Kurokocchi deserves more than someone who is just 'curious.' "

"And you think that someone's you?" Aomine challenged.

"I don't know. That's why it's going to be up to him isn't it? Just know that I won't give in or lose to you for that matter."

"I– "

"Dai-chan, Ki-chan!"

Aomine turned to see his childhood friend and Akashi. " 'Sup." He was relieved their conversation was once again interrupted but... "Where's Tetsu?"

"Shh," Momoi scolded, putting her hand over Aomine's mouth and looking to see if anyone heard. "It's Teru-chan remember?"

"No one's around!" Aomine said brushing away Momoi's hand.

Momoi looked around again. "Zelo's here. I talked to Shu-san as a distraction before Akashi-kun rescued me, but I don't know where the rest of them are. And I lost Tetsu-kun." She said the last part quietly.

"What, they're here?" Kise asked.

"You lost him again?" Aomine sighed, just like the time she dragged Kuroko on a date during middle school.

Momoi pouted. "Yeah... also, Rendou's probably here, and I really don't want him to find Tetsu-kun."

 _That annoying guy who kept talking to Tetsu before,_  Aomine remembered. "Come on, let's find him." He stood up and patted Momoi's head. Kise followed too.

"Akashicchi, aren't you coming?" Kise asked when he noticed their former captain was looking in the opposite direction.

Akashi shook his head. "Some of my father's acquaintances have just waved me over. I'll meet up with you guys later," he said, walking to a table seated with professional-looking people.

"Man, he has it tough. I bet it's tiring having to greet everyone like that all the time." Kise couldn't imagine maintaining a polite and cordial façade.

"Akashi-kun must be used to it by now," Momoi said as they began searching for a particular phantom player.

"Just because he's used to it doesn't mean he likes it," Aomine commented.

Momoi looked back to Akashi talking with a polite smile on his face. "I guess so."

* * *

Taking a break from his search, Kuroko settled on a bench at the edge of the dance floor to watch the other guests. The drinks were long forgotten. It really was an amazing party, and he felt somewhat suspended in a dream. Who knew modeling could lead to something like this? He tilted his head back to see the stars above the glass atrium and wondered fleetingly if he could sneak up on the roof for a better look.

"I feel like I always find you on a bench."

Kuroko sat up to find Rendou beside him. "Good evening, Rendou-san." He looked less flashy than during the music video shoot, more normal-like, wearing a black tux with white lapels and diamond studs on his ears that matched his cufflinks.

"You look beautiful tonight," Rendou complimented.

"Thank you." This was the second flattering remark received that night. They weren't unwelcome but rather... new. It was rare for someone to call him handsome when he was a guy much less beautiful.

"Yup." Rendou grinned. "Anyway, how're you enjoying the party? It's pretty legit don't you think?"

"Mm, I was just thinking that. It's interesting to see the amount of detail they put into everything."

"Right?  _Everything is beautiful and nothing hurts_ ," he said gesturing to the entire gallery.

" _So it goes_ ," Kuroko responded, deciding to overlook Rendou's inaccurate tense-use of the quote. "Except I don't think this is the right context to quote Vonnegut."

Rendou beamed, "Isn't it though? Contemplating the transient nature of our lives while we're in stuck in a momentary bubble of beauty? Seriously, what  _haven't_  you read?"

Kuroko shook his head. "I haven't read as many as you think. You seem to like foreign novels a lot."

"Yeah, my mom was a world literature professor at a university in my hometown so I probably got it from her. What about you?"

"I prefer Japanese light novels, if anything," Kuroko said, the corners of his lips raised.

Rendou blushed.  _She's too cute...!_  He suddenly sprang up from his seat and offered his hand. "Teru-chan, would you like to dance with me?"

Kuroko mouth hung open a fraction. "No," he refused outrightly. Then, as an afterthought, "I don't know how."

"That's alright. I'll teach you," he persisted.

"But I– "  _Be polite and try to be social_ , Natashou had told them. It's not like he didn't want to. But Kuroko knew for a fact that he was way too uncoordinated to do any sort of dancing. Basketball was the one physical activity he was coordinated in, and that took years to get right.

"What's there to lose?  _We should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once_ ," Rendou recited.

Kuroko drew a blank. "I don't know where that's from."

"It's from  _Thus Spoke Zarathustra_  by Nietzsche. I guess it's kinda obscure, but I recommend it if you don't mind long philosophical rants," he said, pleased with himself.

"Okay," Kuroko agreed. One dance wasn't a big deal.

Rendou caught Kuroko when he stumbled onto the dance floor. "I'm not a pro either, but I'm pretty confident in my leading abilities so don't worry too much." He brought Kuroko to a closed position and stepped back for a waltz step.

Despite the sure grip Rendou had on him, Kuroko kept his eyes locked on his shoes to minimize the damage of stepping on the other. When the music stopped, he saw the live band take a break while two pianists continued the music. "That's Midorima-kun," Kuroko said in surprise.

"Hmm?" Rendou led Kuroko in a circle to see who the other was looking at. "A friend?" Rendou didn't recognize the white-haired guy, but he remembered the tall megane model from the group. "They're good," he commented as he continued to lead Kuroko across the dance floor. The song was a popular one from a few years back but altered to be timed for a waltz.

"Excuse me, can I have Kurokocchi for a dance?" Kise stood behind Rendou so he was forced to stop mid-step.

Rendou frowned, but he wasn't going to just say no. "Lady's choice," he said, gesturing to Kuroko to decide.

"I'd rather not dance with someone as noisy as you, Kise-kun," Kuroko said bluntly.

Kise's cool demeanor crumbled. "How meeaannn~" the model whined. "Don't laugh at me, Kurokocchi!" he exclaimed when Kuroko turned around to cough but was what Kise knew to be a laugh.

"I'm kidding. Thanks for the dance, Rendou-san," Kuroko inclined his head in goodbye.

Rendou nodded, disappointment etched all over his face.

* * *

For the first time since ever, Aomine was jealous of Kise's copying abilities. When they saw Kuroko and Rendou, the two basketball idiots moved immediately to interrupt, but Momoi stopped them saying they'll cause a commotion in the crowded dance floor. It was her idea for Kise to copy the steps so he could inconspicuously lure Kuroko away. He watched as Kise pressed Kuroko close to his chest and led him around the floor in long sweeping strides that twirled the phantom model's gown along the floor. It also bothered him that both Kise and Rendou had their hand on Kuroko's almost bare back. The strings of crystals were nothing of a barrier. It grated his nerves.

Momoi sighed beside him. If only Kuroko wasn't dressed as a girl. Then maybe she could dance with him too. She contemplated asking for a dance anyway and wondered how much it would bother her if people thought they were lesbians. It wasn't too high of a price...

"Momoi-san, Aomine-kun, I've found you at last. Where's everyone else?" Masamune asked behind them.

"Hi, Masamune-san. Teru-chan's dancing over there with Ki-chan, Midorin is playing the piano, Mukkun is still eating sweets, and Akashi-kun is talking to some business people," Momoi dutifully reported.

The manager touched his chin. "I see. It looks like you guys are enjoying yourselves. I'm glad. Listen, when the clock strikes 10 the owners of the museum are going to make an announcement. Can you round up everyone and find me after? I want to introduce you to someone."

Momoi nodded yes.

"Thanks. I'll be over at the bar talking to some colleagues of mine."

"What time is it?" Aomine asked his childhood friend.

"A few minutes till 10," she replied, checking the modern wall-clock on one side of the gallery. "I guess we should start finding everyone?"

"Sure, I'll stay here and get these guys," he pointed to the dance floor, meaning Kise, Kuroko, and Midorima.

* * *

"Kise-kun, when did you learn how to dance?" Kuroko asked as he was swept through and around other dancers. At first people thought the handsome young blonde was dancing by himself until they performed a lift that effectively made Kuroko visible for everyone to see.

"Just now. I was watching some of the really good ones," Kise grinned. "I'm cool right?"

Kuroko looked him dead in the eye, even as he was led in another circle. "Annoying."

"So mean," Kise whined, though his step didn't falter.

The music stopped as a bell chimed throughout the gallery. The clock read 10 o'clock. "Ladies and gentlemen," a childish voice announced from atop the terrace. Kuroko saw that it was the same little girl he had helped earlier. She stood confident in her position, with a mic in hand, amber eyes sparkling, and butterfly pin perched in her hair. "As you may or may not know, my name's Ageha, and my family owns this lovely museum called the Dulcinea. We thank you all for coming to this site for Cerny's annual masquerade." She paused as the attendees clapped.

"It is now time for the unveiling of Cerny's annual showpiece!" As she described the team of designers who spent the year creating such a masterpiece, workers rolled out a tall block-like thing covered in a rich velvet cloth. The lights dimmed, and Ageha smiled, "I present..." she paused for dramatic effect, " _Metamorphosis!_ "

The cloth fell down in a swoosh and revealed what looked like hundreds of crystal butterflies suspended by thin strings and shaped like a coil that climbed up to the top of the bounding box before breaking free. The movement of the cloth caused the crystal butterflies to sway together and clink softly, giving the illusion of movement in the otherwise static piece. The gallery applauded once again.

"Thank you. This is marvelous isn't it? Let's give them another round of applause," the little girl grinned and waved to Cerny's design team.

 _She's really charismatic,_  Kuroko thought absentmindedly.

"Now, for the ceremonious removal of the masks!" Ageha wasn't wearing one herself, but she pointed to all the adults around her. "On three, ready?" She grinned again when there were murmurs of a simple count being too plain for a 'ceremonious removal.' "1... 2... 3!"

On three, the previously dimmed gallery was illuminated by thousands of mini Christmas lights adorning the gardens and hundreds of butterflies were released from small containers to flutter around the guests. There was a collective gasp of awe throughout the museum, and the guests started removing their masks.

Kise didn't pay attention to the lights or the little insects flitting around. He concentrated on a small, awestruck face that practically glowed under the dim light.  _Fuck it._  "Kurokocchi–"

"Hmm?" Kuroko turned his head, his lips meeting Kise's. He froze in place, and couldn't say anything even as Kise backed away.

"You are really beautiful tonight," the model said smiling.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am alive and back from the dead. First: I am so so so so sorry it has taken me this long to update. After the last chapter I just got stuck and really didn't know how to continue but Second: you guys are so incredibly amazing, and I would read your messages and reviews over and over until I finally got the inspiration to keep writing. Honestly, my most wonderful and dear readers are the sole reason I will power through to finish this fic.
> 
> To all of you who I've never responded to: please don't hate me. I'm simply terrible at messaging back and sometimes I get so immobilized by how sweet and encouraging your words are that I don't know what to say (but also because I'm ashamed I take so long to update)
> 
> To those who got the Ouran HS references: hugs and kisses and sweet treats galore!

Midorima stepped up onto the gazebo and took his place on one of the pianos, Kaworu following. "Are you familiar with the song,  _Baiser de Cerisier_?" he asked.

Midorima paused to think. "It was popular a few years back."

Kaworu nodded. "Can you play by ear?"

Midorima flexed his fingers. His classical training had ended years ago, but he had yet to miss a day of practice. "I can do it."

Kaworu smiled again. "Lovely. I'll play the accompaniment." Once the live band was signaled to take a break, Midorima began the first notes of the song's sweet-sounding melody. Kaworu's accompaniment started slow at first, barely accenting Midorima's delicate waltz. But at the chorus, he matched the melody to not only emphasize but enrich the song into a whirlwind of sound that invoked wind-blown sakura.

The fervent playing took Midorima by surprise. He had already gaged the man's talent earlier but didn't know he could perform to such an extent. Kaworu moved passionately with the music and captivated the audience as if he was in the lead. Midorima glanced at the dance floor for a moment. Were there more people than before? At the edge of his periphery vision, he spotted a blue-haired figure dancing with someone. Midorima's fingers almost faltered. Kuroko was dancing with that guy from Zelo.

Kaworu briefly removed his eyes from the keys when he heard the slight hesitation in the music. "Would you like to switch? I can do the melody if you're tired."

Midorima shook his head, "I'm fine."

At this, the silver-haired pianist briefly looked at the dance floor to see Kuroko Terumi switch dance partners with a handsome blond. Kaworu grinned and continued to finish the song. His duet partner was playing the melody a little too fast it seemed.

After their performance had ended, Kaworu stood and offered Midorima a hand. "This was fun. I'd be happy to do it again sometime."

Midorima took the hand and nodded. "Sure."

"Well, I have to go. I'll see you around." And the beautiful silver-haired man left.

The shooting guard still didn't know what to think of his childhood hero, but right now there was something else he had to check. Midorima stepped off the gazebo and surveyed the dance floor for familiar faces.

He paused his search when the lights dimmed and a little girl spoke over the speakers. Midorima watched distractedly as they revealed the crystal sculpture and removed his mask at the count. The light show was an unnecessarily garish display he didn't care for. The butterflies, however, were an interesting addition. He counted about five different types of them, all native species to Japan.

 _Maybe it's about time I look for everyone,_  he thought when the display ended and the insects had settled into the gallery's lush garden. Midorima walked back in the direction of the entrance, hoping to bump into them somehow. He instead bumped into people he wasn't too pleased to find.

"Midorima-kun, right?"

Said person frowned. While looking around the gallery, Midorima had failed to look directly in front of him and so walked into a conversation between Rendou and Hiroto from Zelo. The latter had recognized him first.

"Good evening," Midorima greeted politely. "I was unaware you would be here tonight."

"Woah, you don't need to be so hostile," Hiroto said, raising his hands in peace. "You know, I almost didn't recognize you without the glasses."

Midorima could have said the same. Rendou and Hiroto looked ordinary in their well-fitted tuxedos. Hiroto even more so since he removed most of his piercings. "I'm sorry. That wasn't my intention." He turned to walk away. "Well, it was nice to see you." That last part was said as a formality.

Hiroto sidestepped to block him. "Hey, don't be like that. Why don't you join us for a drink and talk for a bit?"

A good fifteen centimeters taller, Midorima lifted his chin to look down on Hiroto. "No, thank you."

Rendou tapped Hiroto's arm. "Knock it off. They're underage, remember?"

Hiroto shook his head. "Easy to forget when they're so tall."

The younger band member tittered. "He's just bitter you played a duet with Nagisa Kaworu. Nice performance by the way."

That caught Midorima by surprise. "You heard that?"

"Yeah, we saw you go up. Hiro's our keyboardist so he got a little jealous."

Hiroto scoffed. "Kaworu could've been a pro pianist, but decided to be an actor instead. Who does that?"

Midorima nodded in agreement. "He's talented."

"Are you guys gonna be at the after party?" Rendou asked, changing the subject.

"If I understand correctly, you have to be of legal drinking age to attend."

Rendou frowned, "Oh, right. Man, it really is easy to forget how young you are."

"Ren's sad Teru-chan won't be there." Hiroto took the chance to tease the other as payback.

"Shut up!"

Midorima cleared his throat. "Have you seen her?" He would pretend he didn't see them dancing before.

"Last I checked, she was with Kise-kun on the dance floor."

"Thanks." Midorima said, returning to his search.

* * *

Momoi found Murasakibara where they had left him, still stuffing his face with desserts. "Mukkun, we have to meet someone. Is Akashi-kun still talking to his dad's friends?"

He looked up from his plate and whined. "Ehh… we  _have_  to?" Clearly, Murasakibara wanted to stay as close to the food as possible.

"Yes we have to. Masamune-san is asking for us."

"Akachin is over there." He pointed to their former captain at a table with affable-looking people. But before they could call him over, a bell chimed for Ageha's announcement.

Temporarily paused in their task, the two listened to the little girl's speech and watched the unveiling of the annual showpiece. Momoi gasped at the display after the countdown. The gallery truly looked like something out of a fairytale. As Momoi removed her mask, a spotlight illuminated the crystal sculpture and refracted into thousands of rainbow shards throughout the immense gallery. Momoi headed towards the dance floor for a closer look at the display and spotted some familiar faces.  _Not fair!_  The pink-haired manager huffed.  _Why does Ki-chan get to experience this magical moment with Tetsu-kun?_  She took a step but froze in place. For some reason, Kise and Kuroko's faces were really close together.

 _That-_  Momoi reeled.  _Was that a…? No, Ki-chan wouldn't..._  From where she stood, Momoi could only see the back of a blonde head. But when Kise moved back to reveal a dumbfounded Tetsu-kun, the world spun in circles. Momoi covered her mouth to hold back whatever sound wanted to escape.

Gaining the smallest amount of composure, the manager swiveled around to find other witnesses to this scandal. She found Murasakibara had stopped chewing an eclair to let the it fall back onto his plate.

_One…_

At the edge of the dance floor, she saw her childhood friend abruptly pivot and stalk away in the opposite direction.

 _Two…_  Momoi groaned.

 _Three? Four?_  The manager looked around but neither Akashi nor Midorima were in her field of vision.

Momoi groaned again.  _What am I gonna do?_

* * *

"You are really beautiful tonight." The words escaped Kise's lips easily enough, but when he moved back, heat rush to his face. The blond straightened up, expecting a harsh stab to his gut or a snarky comment…

But nothing happened. He met Kuroko's eyes again. The phantom player was speechless, eyes wide and mouth ajar. "Kise-kun," he finally managed. "Why…?" His voice trailed.

Kise's words failed him. "I- uh-" he coughed into his hand and forced a princely smile. "Kurokocchi, wasn't that a spectacular display?" He swept his arms to the butterfly-filled gallery, if only to have an excuse to turn his face away.

Kuroko tilted his head. "Yes, but-"

"Oh look, Momoicchi's calling us! We should go!" Kise interrupted, nearly sprinting in her direction. Kuroko followed with a frown on his face.

"I saw that." Momoi hissed when she was within earshot. "Tets- ru- kun, are you okay?" She flung her arms over her beloved crossdresser and covered his ears. "Ki-chan, I need to talk to you," she said, her voice a little lower.

"Ehh… Momoicchi that was just…" Kise peeked over to see if Kuroko was reacting at all. His face was a placid mask in Momoi's arms. "Uhm…

"Teru-chan," Momoi cooed, "I'm gonna scold this one, okay?" Her smile was near angelic as she pulled Kise's earlobe. "Masamune-san wants to talk to us over there," she said, pointing to the direction of the terrace while dragging the blond in the opposite direction.

"Ow- ow- ow- OW! Watch out for the earring-!"

"Momoi-san…" but the pair was already gone.

When they moved to a relatively secluded part of the gallery, Momoi turned to Kise. "Why?" Kise didn't meet her eyes. "Hey, look at me. What were you thinking?"

"Momoicchi…" he said, still avoiding her eyes. "I- I like him. I like Kurokocchi…"

Momoi sighed. "Well… I can't say I'm surprised." The people around them had been warning her for awhile now.

Kise's gold eyes met Momoi's rose ones. "It's hard okay? He's so beautiful, and the moment was so perfect, and it's so hard to look at him and  _want_  him so much-"

"You." She smacked his arm lightly. "Have you even told him yet?"

"No…"

Momoi covered her face, mumbling into her hands, "Ki-chan… what are you thinking. You have to at least tell him. Don't you know how dumb you're acting right now? Idiot idiot idiot-"

Kise stood there, unsure of what to say before Momoi snapped her head up. "Ki-chan, telling a person that you like them is scary, but you still have to do it."

"How can you say that so easily? He's my friend. I don't want to ruin that. What if he doesn't talk to me again? What if he never wants to play basketball together?"

"Do you honestly think Tetsu-kun is that kind of person?"

"Of course not…"

"Besides, if he stopped talking to you it would be for some other reason like you annoying him too much."

"Mean!"

She giggled and started walking back into the gallery. "I'll see you in a bit. I have to find my idiot childhood friend and talk to him too." Momoi always had the inkling that Aomine liked Kuroko as more than a friend. And ever since they started modeling, he was more obvious about it than before.  _I have to get him to tell me in person. But what about everyone else?_  Nagao and Masamune's questions resurfaced.  _Do they all like him? Are they all in love with him?_  Momoi wanted to deny it. She really did, but… honestly watching how they act whenever her dear Tetsu-kun was around made it so difficult to say they weren't completely smitten. If that was the case, then what would happen? It's not like Zelo's music video. They wouldn't actually fight over him…

"Wait, Momoicchi," Kise interrupted her thoughts. "Aren't you bothered?"

"What do you mean?"

"You like him too."

"Of course I do!" Momoi turned to face him again. "But… even I can tell he just sees me as a friend or a little sister, even. I want him to be happy. So if that means letting him go then I'm okay with it." And to herself,  _But with someone I approve of._

Kise admired his friend a little more now. "You're strong. You know that?"

"Thanks. At least I've had the guts to confess. Better than you, right?" she smacked his arm again.

"Momoicchi, that's so mean…"

* * *

"He  _what_?" Akashi's voice turned as cold as his eyes. He had excused himself from his father's acquaintances after Murasakibara called him over.

Murasakibara was unfazed. "Yeah… I saw Kisechin kiss Kurochin~"

Akashi's gold eye flashed brightly before subsiding to its normal hue. He drew out a long sigh.

"Akachin?"

The captain ran a hand over his bangs. "So it's finally happened…"

Murasakibara tilted his head. "What are you talking about Akachin? Aren't you going to do something? I'm really bothered." He furrowed his eyebrows. "Eh… Why does that even bother me?"

Akashi glanced at the purple giant before answering the rhetorical question. "You like Tetsuya." He decided to give up trying to convince him otherwise. "Tell me, can you imagine yourself in Kise's position?"

"Hah?"

"Would you kiss him?"

"Ehh…" Murasakibara stopped chewing to think. "I want to eat him."

Akashi considered this. "Perhaps I was wrong then. That's not what it means to 'like' a person."

"Akachin I don't understand…" the giant whined.

Akashi pulled up his sleeve to look at his watch. "It's about time I should leave. Goodnight, Atsushi. "

"Eh~ Aren't you avoiding the subject? And Sachin said we have to find Masa-san." Murasakibara complained.

"I will inform him then. My train back to Kyoto leaves in the morning, and I would like to get some sleep before then. Your train also leaves around the same time so I suggest you do likewise."

"But I wanna eat more…" the giant said, taking another plateful of desserts.

Akashi shrugged. "Do as you like."

He was led back to the office buildings where they had gotten ready. While removing his tuxedo jacket, Akashi thought again of the recent interactions between the Generation of Miracles. They were certainly enraptured by the phantom player. The sudden awareness of Kuroko's attractiveness must have acted as a catalyst. Their feelings of admiration and mutual respect were developing into something more. It was little surprise that Kise would be the first to make a move, and Akashi didn't doubt it would set the others in motion.  _Troublesome_ , Akashi mused. He could already see everything playing out like some corny high school television drama.

Akashi thought again of the phantom player. Dressed as a girl, Kuroko really was lovely to behold, pale skin, soft voice, and eyes capable of drawing you into their depths. But even before that, Kuroko in his basketball uniform, wiping sweat from his brow and desperate for victory, that was the version Akashi admired most.

He finished changing back into his casual clothes and got into a taxi bound for Iris Model's employee housing where some models could stay temporarily while working in Tokyo. As the Dulcinea shrunk out of sight, he thought again of the situation they had found themselves in. A bunch of high school students doubling as high fashion models. Absurd. If it was up to him, they should all be playing basketball again.

At the same time, he wouldn't have been able to see Kuroko and the rest of the Generation of Miracles as often as he did if it wasn't for the job. "I guess it's a little fun," he mused.

"Did you say something, sir?" The driver glanced to the rearview mirror.

"No, nothing."

* * *

Left alone once again, Kuroko maneuvered his way through the crowded dance floor. He touched his fingers to his lips and wondered what that was about. Kise has always been flamboyant and over-the-top. Maybe this was just another weird quirk of his. He probably flirted with girls like that all the time. Kuroko frowned, slightly miffed Kise could have actually mistaken him as a girl.  _It was a joke,_  Kuroko concluded. And on a different note,  _My superhero disguise has reached the point where even my friends can get tricked too. I am getting better at this._

Recalling Momoi's instructions, Kuroko headed towards the terrace and wondered what Masamune wanted to talk to them about. He barely took a step forward before a walking tower bumped into him and made him to lose his balance.

"Kurochin?" the walking tower said. One hand held a plate stacked with desserts. The other hand gripped Kuroko's wrist to prevent him from tripping.

"Ah, Murasakibara-kun," Kuroko said, straightening up. "Thanks for that." He tugged on his wrist.

But Murasakibara didn't let go. "Kuro-chin's wrists are so thin." He remembered holding them during their first photoshoot and applied some pressure. So small, so fragile, yet so powerful.

Kuroko twisted his arm and pulled harder. "Let go," he said firmly.

Violet eyes slid sideways to an indignant face. He never liked it when Kuroko pulled that face. "Okay." Dropping his plate onto a flowering bush, he pulled Kuroko into a bear hug and placed his chin over Kuroko's head.

"What are you doing?" Kuroko tried in vain to escape from the giant's clutch.

Murasakibara held him a little tighter to lessen his attempt to struggle. "Ne, why did you kiss Kisechin?"

Kuroko's words came out muffled, his face pressed against Murasakibara's chest. "I didn't. Kise-kun is the one who did that."

"Ah…" his grip loosened enough for Kuroko to break away. That made sense in Murasakibara's mind. Earlier, Kise and Aomine were talking about liking someone.  _Were they talking about Kurochin?_  "Hey-"

Kuroko stepped back. Murasakibara was acting strangely. And he didn't want to be pulled into another bear hug.

Murasakibara, on his part, was pissed Kuroko had flinched. He just wanted to ask a question. Taking a long stride forward, he lifted the small figure into his arms and held him there.

"Murasakibara-kun, what are you doing? Put me down!" Kuroko kicked and squirmed, but the giant gripped him tighter than before.

"Kurochin, if you make a fuss, everyone will look at you," Murasakibara drawled low, bringing Kuroko close enough to say in his ear. "Are you sure you want to embarrass yourself here?"

Kuroko bit his lip. Of course he didn't want that. How humiliating would it be for people to see him being carried like a child? "I got it. I won't fight, so put me down."

The giant thought about this for a moment. Kuroko had lowered his head and made himself as small as possible.  _Cute…_  The phantom player was so light in his arms.

"Nope." Murasakibara decided. He walked away from the gallery to the balcony outside.

"What? No! What are you doing? Put me down. Murasakibara-kun." This time, he didn't care if people saw him. Kuroko shoved against the giant's shoulders and kicked his legs held by the firm grasp. The struggle didn't faze Murasakibara in the least. He only held tighter and kept walking into the cool outside air.

Anxiety flooded inside Kuroko as he kept using all his strength to struggle out of the grip. He had never felt so vulnerable against someone stronger and powerful enough to render him physically helpless. "Let go!" But Kuroko stopped struggling when the grip relaxed, and he felt himself being lowered down.

"Kurochin, relax." Murasakibara set him atop the balcony's stone ledge overlooking the Dulcinea's gardens. His arms were still wrapped around Kuroko's waist to keep him from falling.

Kuroko snapped, "How can I relax when I asked you to put me down and you didn't?" He once again pushed against Murasakibara's chest to slide off the narrow ledge. "Hey-"

Murasakibara clutched Kuroko's waist and pressed forward to make him lose balance over the edge. Kuroko panicked and clutched the giant's shoulders. "Ne, does Kisechin like Kurochin?"

He didn't answer the question. "Don't do that. Put me down," Kuroko demanded again. His heart beat fast. That moment he really thought he would fall.

"I won't let go until you tell me." Murasakibara looked up into Kuroko's face.

"What are you talking about?" Kuroko was losing patience, but he resigned himself to the fact that he needed to entertain Murasakibara's questions before he could be freed.

"Kisechin kissed you." He gripped tighter around Kuroko's waist. "I think he likes you."

Kuroko sighed. Was that what this was about? "You're wrong. That kiss was just a joke. You know him."

"I don't think it was a joke."

"Well, you're thinking wrong." Kuroko tried again to shove Murasakibara away. This time carefully so he wouldn't be caught off guard and accidentally pushed over the edge.

Murasakibara didn't budge. "I think I like you."

Kuroko stopped and took this time to scrutinize the purple giant. Unlike Kise, Murasakibara wasn't the type to make that kind of joke. "What?"

"I told Murochin and Akachin that I wanted to eat you. They said it means I like you. Well, Akachin said he was wrong later-"

"Wait-" Kuroko held up his hand trying to process the words. "This isn't funny, Murasakibara-kun. Stop joking around already."

Murasakibara took Kuroko's hand and squeezed lightly. "What if I'm not joking?" His voice dropped lower, his tone different from usual.

Kuroko's mouth opened, then closed. Violet eyes stared clearly at him. Kuroko realized it was because Murasakibara's hair was tied back. He opened his mouth again. "What do you mean Akashi-kun said he was wrong?"

"Ehh… Akachin said wanting to eat someone doesn't mean you like the person. But I was bothered when Kisechin kissed you. So that means I like you. Probably."

 _That didn't make sense at all,_  Kuroko thought, closing his eyes. "Murasakibara-kun, I don't think your logic works. Anyone would be bothered by two guys kissing, right? And you always say you want to crush me. So that just means you want to play basketball again. "

Murasakibara frowned, unconvinced. "Then what does it mean to like a person?"

Kuroko looked away, collecting his thoughts. "It means wanting to spend time with them; wanting to see them, even if it's only for a little while; wanting them to be happy and smiling…"

Something in Kuroko's voice changed. Murasakibara lifted Kuroko's chin towards him, gazing once again at indignant blue eyes. "Then I guess it's different. When I see Kurochin so small and cute, I wanna gobble him up."

"Don't say it like that. It sounds dirty."

"Ehh… but it's true~"

Kuroko sighed, "Listen, you'll know you like someone when you put their needs over yours. At least that's what I think."

The purple giant loosened his grip, finally letting Kuroko back down onto the floor. "Kurochin… who was that person you said you liked before?"

Back on solid ground, Kuroko tapped a kitten heel on the marble tile. "Secret," he muttered.

Murasakibara studied the phantom player again before shrugging. "Whatever. I'm gonna go home now." He tousled the sky blue wig before heading in the direction of the gallery. "See ya later, Kurochin~"

* * *

"Midorima-kun, over here." Masamune waved him over to a standing table on the terrace. Next to him was Kise. "Are you by yourself? Where are the others?"

He stood there, confused. "Was I supposed to be with them?"

"I thought I asked Momoi-san and Aomine-kun to get everyone."

"Ah," Kise interjected. "Aominecchi uh- he suddenly had a stomach ache from all the desserts, and Momoicchi had to take care of him."

Midorima glared at the blond with a look that said,  _Are you in middle school? Do you think he'd fall for such a transparent lie-_

"Is he okay?" Masamune fell for the transparent lie.

Kise nodded. "Momoicchi said she'd send you an email later."

"That would be good. Akashi-kun messaged me too saying he and Murasakibara-kun would leave early so they could catch their trains in the morning."

"What about Kuroko?" Midorima asked.

"I haven't heard from him either. I was hoping one of you would know."

"Are you asking about Kuroko-chan?" Natashou Yuna popped up at their table. "I saw him as he was leaving. Sweet child said he was really tired and wanted to go home."

Kise frowned. "Masamune-san, didn't you say you wanted us to meet someone? We're the only ones here."

Their manager sighed. "That's right. I meant to introduce you all to the producer of the Evangelion series for a gig in their tenth anniversary celebration, but we can talk about that later. It's my fault for keeping you kids out too late. The party ends at eleven-thirty, but you can go ahead and head home now."

Kise wasn't convinced. "Are you sure that's okay? This guy sounds like a big deal." As a professional, he couldn't forgive himself for being rude to a potential employer.

Masamune waved him off. "It's fine. He's a man of few words and the meeting would have only lasted five minutes knowing his antisocial tendencies. Go home."

After Midorima and Kise said goodbye and left, Natashou offered Masamune her camera, viewfinder pointed towards him.

He took it and absentmindedly scrolled through pictures of the guests. "You just can't put your camera down can you?"

"Mmm…" She tilted the viewfinder down to see which image he was on. "Keep scrolling," she said.

Masamune huffed while still looking through the images. She captured the moment the butterflies flew up and into the gallery amid the blinking lights, a truly magical sight. Natashou had even managed to get the bokeh effect in the images. He recognized some figures in the crowd, one with blond hair, the other blue. Their faces were oddly close to each other, and Kise seemed bent at a strange angle. Masamune squinted his eyes and brought the camera closer to his face. "Is this…?"

Yuna sighed and plucked a mini-quiche from a passing waiter's tray and a glass of white wine from another's. "Young love is nice don't you think?"

"Sure… But you know, it's not advisable to stalk underage kids on their love-lives." He scrolled through more pictures and saw a petite girl being carried by a two-meter giant.

"Oh shush, think of it like gossip. Like, at family parties when your aunties ask if you have a girlfriend or boyfriend. Like that."

"You're too young to be an aunt," he chided. Still, Natashou was being uncharacteristically quiet about this new development from the kids she was so obsessed with. "Is something wrong?" Masamune asked.

Natashou looked at Masamune, her eyes glassy, "Tasuku-" his name came out whiny-er than intended. "They're growing up too fast make them ssttttoooppp!"

Masamune's concerned face broke into a chortle. "Yuna-san, I think you've had too much to drink." He lifted the wine glass out of her reach. "You're definitely not making it to the after party."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am absolutely determined to finish this. As of now, my goal is 23 chapters.
> 
> Also, it's so hard reading back on previous chapters because now I look at them and think how childish they sound. I wanna rewrite it all but I'll probably just do some minor editing...
> 
> Also, the good thing about taking such a long time to update that the series finished is all this new source material. the bad thing about it is all the new source material. OTL


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